Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Studies of anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together, they form the fowl clade which is scientifically known as Galloanserae (initially termed Galloanseri). This clade is also supported by morphological and DNA sequence data as well as retrotransposon presence/absence data.

Terminology

As opposed to "fowl", "poultry" is a term for any kind of domesticated bird or bird captive-raised for meat, eggs, or feathers; ostriches, for example, are sometimes kept as poultry, but are neither gamefowl nor waterfowl. In colloquial speech, however, the term "fowl" is often used near-synonymously with "poultry," and many languages do not distinguish between "poultry" and "fowl". Nonetheless, the fact that the Galliformes and Anseriformes most likely form a monophyletic group makes a distinction between "fowl" and "poultry" warranted.

The term fowl refers to certain birds often used as food by humans, which make up the Galloanserae clade.

Fowl can also refer to:

See also

Friends of WikiLeaks, sometimes reduced and stylized as FoWL, is a surveillance-resistant social network site of the WikiLeaks. Founded in May 2012, the site was intended for those who support WikiLeaks and its activities to perform advocacy. In contrast to more traditional forms of social networking, FoWL aimed at bringing together like-minded people who do not yet know each other. To achieve this goal, the site would ask about the language the user speaks as well as any preferences in the ways of hobbies or other activities. The site would then find six friends who share the user's views within your country, and another six from other parts of the world who speak your language. If one of those friends cancelled their account or became inactive, a new friend would be matched to the user's circle and would replace the previous inactive one.

With the establishment of The Wikileaks Party, Friends of WikiLeaks was shut down sometime in 2013.

References