Petrels are tube-nosed
seabirds in the
bird order
Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (except the
albatross family, Diomedeidae). Having a
fossil record that was assumed to extend back at least 60 million years, the Procellariiformes was long considered to be among the older bird groupings, other than the
ratites, with presumably distant ties to
penguins and
loons. However, recent research and fossil finds such as
Vegavis show that the
Galliformes (
pheasants,
grouse and relatives), and
Anseriformes (
ducks,
geese) are still not fully resolved. An old world petrel has been found in
Biarritz. Its name is Biarritz rock petrel.