Evolutionary speculations
This family is a highly coherent group with no members showing obvious links with other bird families, or vice versa. The dodo and solitaires are clearly related, as discussed below, but equally lacking in obvious links with other bird families. The limited fossil record also consists only of unequivocal Columbidae species. Links to the sandgrouse and parrots have been suggested, but resemblances to the first group are due to convergent evolution and the second depend on the parrot-like features of the Tooth-billed Pigeon. However, the distinctive features of that bird seem to have arisen from its specialized diet rather than a real relationship to the parrots .
The family is usually divided into five subfamilies, but this is probably inaccurate. For example, the American ground and quail doves which are usually placed in the Columbinae seem to be two distinct subfamilies. The order presented here follows Baptista et al. (1997) with some updates (Johnson & Clayton 2000, Johnson et al. 2001, Shapiro et al. 2002).
The arrangement of genera and naming of subfamilies is in some cases provisional because analysis of different DNA sequences yield results that differ, often radically, in the placement of certain (mainly Indo-Australian) genera. This ambiguity, probably caused by long branch attraction, seems to confirm that the first pigeons evolved in the Australasian region, and that the "Treronidae" and allied forms (crowned and pheasant pigeons, for example) represent the earliest radiation of the group.
As the Dodo and Rodrigues Solitaire are in all likelihood part of the Indo-Australian radiation that produced the 3 small subfamilies mentioned above with the fruit-doves and -pigeons (including the Nicobar Pigeon), they are here included as a subfamily Raphinae, pending better material evidence of their exact relationships.
Exacerbating these issues, columbids are not well represented in the fossil record. No truly primitive forms have been found to date. The genus Gerandia which most likely belongs to the Columbinae has been described from Early Miocene deposits of France. Fragmentary remains of an indeterminate (probably "treronine") Early/Middle Miocene pigeon were found in New Zealand. Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. For these, and for the considerable number of more recently extinct prehistoric species, see the respective genus accounts.

Genera
A list of all the species, sortable by common and scientific name, is at list of Columbidae species

Family Columbidae

Subfamily Columbinae – typical pigeons & doves
Genus Columba including Aplopelia – Old World pigeons (33-34 living species, 2-3 recently extinct)
Genus Streptopelia including Stigmatopelia and Nesoenas – turtledoves (14-18 living species)
Genus Patagioenas – American pigeons; formerly included in Columba (17 species)
Genus Macropygia (10 species)
Genus Reinwardtoena (3 species)
Genus Turacoena (2 species)

Subfamily N.N. – Bronzewings and relatives
Genus Turtur – African wood-doves (5 species; tentatively placed here)
Genus Oena – Namaqua Dove (tentatively placed here)
Genus Chalcophaps (2 species)
Genus Henicophaps (2 species)
Genus Phaps (3 species)
Genus Ocyphaps – Crested Pigeon
Genus Geophaps (3 species)
Genus Petrophassa – rock-pigeons (2 species)
Genus Geopelia (3–5 species)

Subfamily Leptotilinae – Zenaidine and quail-doves
Genus Zenaida (7 species)
Genus Ectopistes – Passenger Pigeon (extinct; 1914)
Genus Leptotila (11 species)
Genus Geotrygon – quail-doves (16 species)
Genus Starnoenas – Blue-headed Quail-dove

Subfamily Columbininae – American ground doves
Genus Columbina (7 species)
Genus Claravis (3 species)
Genus Metriopelia (4 species)
Genus Scardafella – possibly belongs into Columbina (2 species)
Genus Uropelia – Long-tailed Ground Dove

Subfamily N.N. – Indopacific ground doves
Genus Gallicolumba (16-17 living species, 3-4 recently extinct)
Genus Trugon – Thick-billed Ground Pigeon

Subfamily Otidiphabinae – Pheasant Pigeon
Genus Otidiphaps – Pheasant Pigeon

Subfamily Didunculinae – Tooth-billed Pigeon
Genus Didunculus – Tooth-billed Pigeon

Subfamily Gourinae – crowned pigeons
Genus Goura (3 species)

Subfamily N.N. ("Treroninae") – green and fruit-doves and imperial pigeons
Genus Ducula – imperial-pigeons (36 species)
Genus Lopholaimus – Topknot Pigeon
Genus Hemiphaga (2 species)
Genus Cryptophaps – Sombre Pigeon
Genus Gymnophaps – mountain-pigeons (3 species)
Genus Ptilinopus – fruit-doves (some 50 living species, 1-2 recently extinct)
Genus Natunaornis – Viti Levu Giant Pigeon (prehistoric)
Genus Drepanoptila – Cloven-feathered Dove
Genus Alectroenas – blue pigeons (3 living species)

Subfamily Raphinae – didines
Genus Raphus – Dodo (extinct; late 17th century)
Genus Pezophaps – Rodrigues Solitaire (extinct; c.1730)

Placement unresolved
Genus Caloenas – Nicobar Pigeon
Genus Treron – green pigeons (23 species)
Genus Phapitreron – brown doves (3 species)
Genus Leucosarcia – Wonga Pigeon
Genus Microgoura – Choiseul Crested Pigeon (extinct; early 20th century)
Genus Dysmoropelia – Saint Helena Dove (extinct)
Genus Bountyphaps - Henderson Island Archaic Pigeon (prehistoric)

Relationship with humans

As food
Several species of pigeon or dove are used as food, and probably any could be; the powerful breast muscles characteristic of the family make excellent meat. In Europe the Wood Pigeon is commonly shot as a game bird, while Rock Pigeons were originally domesticated as a food species, and many breeds were developed for their meat-bearing qualities. The extinction of the Passenger Pigeon was at least partly due to shooting for use as food. According to the Tanakh, doves are kosher, and they are the only birds that may be used for a korban. Other kosher birds may be eaten, but not brought as a korban.