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Mirandornithes (Grebes and Flamingos), Charadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies), and Gruiformes (Rails, Cranes, and Allies)
Abstract
The three clades discussed in the following are obtained in varying positions in current phylogenetic analyses, and their inclusion in the present chapter is not meant to reflect close affinities. It should be mentioned, however, that some analyses supported a sister group relationship between the Mirandornithes and the Charadriiformes, and others recovered a clade including the Charadriiformes and the Gruiformes. Some extinct taxa of the Gruiformes are well represented, but the Mirandornithes and Charadriiformes have a rather scant early Paleogene fossil record even though various Mesozoic and early Paleogene fossils were identified as flamingos or “transitional Charadriiformes” by earlier authors.
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New bird taxa are described from the early Eocene Bumban Member of the Tsagaan-Khushuu locality in southern Mongolia. Bumbanortyx transitoria gen. et sp. nov. is a small galliform bird that combines morphological similarity with the fossil families Quercymegapodiidae and Gallinuloididae. The somewhat larger Bumbanipodius magnus gen. et sp. nov. also shows similarities with Quercymegapodiidae, but is close to Argillipes aurorum from the early Eocene of England in the structure of the tarsometatarsus. Bumbanipes aramoides gen. et sp. nov. shows the greatest similarity with modern Aramidae (Gruiformes). Bumbaniralla walbeckornithoides gen. et sp. nov. is described based on a coracoid, morphologically intermediate between those of Walbeckornis and Messelornithidae (stem Gruiformes). The presence of unnamed Messelornithidae in the fauna of the Tsagaan-Khushuu locality is also noted.
Remains of the stem anseriforms Presbyornithidae dominate among the avian material from the Tsagaan-Khushu locality in southern Mongolia (Naran-Bulak Formation; upper Paleocene-lower Eocene). Revision of the materials previously attributed to Presbyornis showed that they actually belong to two taxa of Presbyornithidae plus one or two taxa of stem Phoenicopterimorphae. The relatively large presbyornithid is morphologically similar to smaller specimens of Presbyornis pervetus Wetmore, 1926 from the lower Eocene of the United States. Another small form described here as Bumbalavis anatoides gen. et sp. nov. is morphologically more advanced than Presbyornis. Thus, the Mongolian materials do not confirm the presence of significant body size dimorphism in Presbyornis. Stem Phoenicopterimorphae from Tsagaan-Khushu are tentatively assigned to Juncitarsidae, to which the holotype of Presbyornis mongoliensis Kurochkin et Dyke, 2010 also belongs.
The stem lineage relationships and early phenotypic evolution of Charadriiformes (shorebirds) and Gruiformes (rails, cranes, and allies) remain unresolved. It is still debated whether these clades are sister-taxa. New phylogenetic analyses incorporating Paleogene fossils have the potential to reveal the evolutionary connections of these two speciose and evolutionarily critical neoavian subclades. Although Gruiformes have a rich Paleogene fossil record, most of these fossils have not been robustly placed. The Paleogene fossil record of Charadriiformes is scarce and largely consists of fragmentary single elements. Only one proposed Eocene charadriiform-like taxon, Scandiavis mikkelseni of Denmark, is represented by a partial skeleton. Here, we describe a new species from the early Eocene Green River Formation of North America comprising a partial skeleton and feather remains. Because the skeleton lacks the pectoral girdle and forelimbs as in S. mikkelseni, only features of the skull, axial skeleton, and hind limb are available to resolve the phylogenetic placement of this taxon. These anatomical subregions initially showed features seen in Charadriiformes and Gruiformes. To assess placement of this taxon, we use a matrix consisting of 693 morphological characters and 60 taxa, including S. mikkelseni and the oldest known charadriiform taxa represented by single elements. These more fragmentary records comprise two distal humeri from the earliest Eocene Naranbulag Formation of Mongolia and the early Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of Virginia. Our phylogenetic analyses recover the new taxon and S. mikkelseni alternatively as a charadriiform or as a stem-gruiform; placement is contingent upon enforced relationships for major neoavian subclades recovered by recent molecular-based phylogenies. Specifically, when constraint trees based on results that do not recover Charadriiformes and Gruiformes as sister-taxa are used, the new taxon and S. mikkelseni are recovered within stem Gruiformes. Both Paleogene fossil humeri are consistently recovered within crown Charadriiformes. If placement of these humeri or the new taxon as charadriiforms are correct, this may indicate that recent divergence time analyses have underestimated the crown age of another major crown avian subclade; however, more complete sampling of these taxa is necessary, especially of more complete specimens with pectoral elements.
Presumably, due to a rapid early diversification, major parts of the higher-level phylogeny of birds are still resolved controversially in different analyses or are considered unresolvable. To address this problem, we produced an avian tree of life, which includes molecular sequences of one or several species of ∼ 90% of the currently recognized family-level taxa (429 species, 379 genera) including all 106 for the non-passerines and 115 for the passerines (Passeriformes). The unconstrained analyses of noncoding 3-prime untranslated region (3'UTR) sequences and those of coding sequences yielded different trees. In contrast to the coding sequences, the 3'UTR sequences resulted in a well-resolved and stable tree topology. The 3'UTR contained, unexpectedly, transcription factor binding motifs that were specific for different higher-level taxa. In this tree, grebes and flamingos are the sister clade of all other Neoaves, which are subdivided into five major clades. All non-passerine taxa were placed with robust statistical support including the long-time enigmatic hoatzin (Opisthocomiformes), which was found being the sister taxon of the Caprimulgiformes. The comparatively late radiation of family-level clades of the songbirds (oscine Passeriformes) contrasts with the attenuated diversification of non-passeriform taxa since the early Miocene. This correlates with the evolution of vocal production learning, an important speciation factor, which is ancestral for songbirds and evolved convergent only in hummingbirds and parrots. Since 3'UTR-based phylotranscriptomics resolved the avian family-level tree of life, we suggest that this procedure will also resolve the all-species avian tree of life.
The middle-late Eocene of Antarctica was characterized by dramatic change as the continent became isolated from the other southern landmasses and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current formed. These events were crucial to the formation of the permanent Antarctic ice cap, affecting both regional and global climate change. Our best insight into how life in the high latitudes responded to this climatic shift is provided by the fossil record from Seymour Island, near the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. While extensive collections have been made from the La Meseta and Submeseta formations of this island, few avian taxa other than penguins have been described and mammalian postcranial remains have been scarce. Here, we report new fossils from Seymour Island collected by the Antarctic Peninsula Paleontology Project. These include a mammalian metapodial referred to Xenarthra and avian material including a partial tarsometatarsus referred to Gruiformes (cranes, rails, and allies). Penguin fossils (Sphenisciformes) continue to be most abundant in new collections from these deposits. We report several penguin remains including a large spear-like mandible preserving the symphysis, a nearly complete tarsometatarsus with similarities to the large penguin clade Palaeeudyptes but possibly representing a new species, and two small partial tarsometatarsi belonging to the genus Delphinornis. These findings expand our view of Eocene vertebrate faunas on Antarctica. Specifically, the new remains referred to Gruiformes and Xenarthra provide support for previously proposed, but contentious, earliest occurrence records of these clades on the continent.
We describe a new species of shorebird, tentatively referred to the family Charadriidae, from the Huadian Formation (Middle Eocene) in Jilin Province, China. In general morphology the specimen closely matches that of an extant charadriid, and corresponds in size to the Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus). If correctly identified this is the oldest record of the Charadriidae. The Middle Eocene paleoenvironment of the Huadian region is thought to have resembled a subtropical swamp.
Un Ave Playera de China del Eoceno Medio
Resumen. Describimos una nueva especie de ave playera, tentativamente clasificada como de la Familia Charadriidae, de la Formación Huadian (Eoceno Medio) en la Provincia de Jilin, China. En términos de morfología general, el ejemplar coincide mayormente con la morfología de un charádrido actual, y se asemeja en tamaño a Charadrius vociferus. Si la identificación es correcta, este representa el registro más antiguo para la Familia Charadriidae. El paleoambiente del Eoceno Medio de la región de Huadian se asemejaba probablemente a un pantano subtropical.
Understanding of the Asian early Paleogene avifauna is limited relative to that of North American and European avifauna of the same period. While major patterns of mammalian faunal exchange among these three regions across the Paleocene/Eocene boundary have been described, much less is known about the dynamics of bird diversity over the same time interval. Here, we report bird fossils from the earliest Eocene Bumban Member of the Naranbulag Formation in central Mongolia that add to the known record from Asia from just after this boundary. Most of this material, collected by the joint American Museum of Natural History/ Mongolia Academy of Sciences expeditions, is referable to a previously described taxon in Presbyornithidae (Anseriformes). However, five isolated elements are identified as comprising at least four species from at least three other major avian clades. While further inclusive phylogenetic analyses of each of these clades are necessary, the new remains represent possible earliest occurrences in Asia of these clades. The material includes a humerus and a furcula from shorebirds (Pan-Charadriiformes), a quadrate from a stem member of the flamingo-grebe lineage (Pan-Mirandornithes), and a coracoid from a stem galliform (Pangalliformes). We also report a humerus with uncertain phylogenetic affinities but with similarities to core Gruiformes. These new fossils expand our knowledge of the Asian avifauna during this time and have the potential to further inform our understanding of the early biogeography of these clades. The shorebird and flamingo-grebe material indicate that both these lineages were present in Asia by the earliest Eocene. The pan-mirandornithine quadrate provides insight into the early feeding ecology of the flamingo-grebe clade.
Pellornis mikkelseni is an early gruiform from the latest Paleocene-earliest Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark. At approximately 54 million years old, it is among the earliest clear records of the Gruiformes. The holotype specimen, and only material thus far recognised, was originally considered to comprise a partial postcranial skeleton. However, additional mechanical preparation of the nodule containing the holotype revealed that the skeleton is nearly complete and includes a well-preserved skull. In addition to extracting new information from the holotype, we identify and describe two additional specimens of P. mikkelseni which reveal further morphological details of the skeleton. Together, these specimens show that P. mikkelseni possessed a schizorhinal skull and shared many features with the well-known Paleogene Messelornithidae ("Messel rails"). To reassess the phylogenetic position of P. mikkelseni, we modified an existing morphological dataset by adding 20 characters, four extant gruiform taxa, six extinct gruiform taxa, and novel scorings based on the holotype and referred specimens. Phylogenetic analyses recover a clade containing P. mikkelseni, Messelornis, Songzia and crown Ralloidea, supporting P. mikkelseni as a crown gruiform. The phylogenetic position of P. mikkelseni illustrates that some recent divergence time analyses have underestimated the age of crown Gruiformes. Our results suggest a Paleocene origin for this important clade, bolstering evidence for a rapid early radiation of Neoaves following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
We describe new avian remains from Paleocene localities of Belgium and France. Four bones from the early to middle Selandian of Maret (Belgium) are among the earliest Cenozoic avian remains known from Europe and include the oldest temporally well constrained European records of the Gastornithidae, as well as tentative records of the palaeognathous Lithornithidae and the Ralloidea. A more comprehensive fossil assemblage from the middle Thanetian of Templeuve (France) contains multiple bones of the Lithornithidae as well as a record of the Pelagornithidae. Specimens from the latest Thanetian of Rivecourt-Petit Pâtis (France) are tentatively assigned to the Ralloidea and Leptosomiformes (cf. Plesiocathartes). Because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, the taxonomic identity of a number of other specimens remains uncertain. We note, however, that Paleocene avifaunas of Europe and North America appear to have had different compositions and only a few taxa, such as the palaeognathous Lithornithidae, are known from both continents. This suggests that the very similar early Eocene avifaunas of Europe and North America are the result of early Cenozoic dispersal events.
We describe an assemblage of 54 avian bones from early Eocene marine sediments of the Ampe quarry near Egem in Belgium. The fossils belong to at least 20 species in more than 11 higher-level taxa. Well-identifiable specimens are assigned to the Odontopterygiformes, Galliformes, Messelornithidae, Apodiformes, Halcyornithidae, Leptosomiformes (cf. Plesiocathartes), and Coraciiformes (cf. Septencoracias). Further specimens are tentatively referred to the phaethon-tiform Prophaethontidae and to the Accipitridae, Masillaraptoridae, and Alcediniformes. The three-dimensionally preserved fossils from Egem provide new data on the osteology of taxa that are otherwise mainly known from compression fossils with crushed bones. The material also includes specimens that further knowledge of the composition of early Eocene avifaunas of the North Sea Basin. The comparatively well-represented small galliform species is clearly distinguished from the early Eocene Gallinuloididae and most closely resembles Argillipes aurorum, a largely ignored galliform species from the London Clay. The tentatively identified fossils of Accipitridae and Alcediniformes would represent the earliest fossil records of these clades. The bird assemblage from Egem includes relatively few seabirds (Odontopterygiformes, cf. Prophaethontidae) and is dominated by remains of terrestrial species (Galliformes, Messelornithidae). Arboreal birds (Halcyornithidae, Leptosomiformes, cf. Alcediniformes, Coraciiformes) are less abundant and aerial insectivores (Apodiformes) very scarce, which either indicates a taphonomic bias in the composition of the avifauna or particular paleoenvironmental characteristics of the nearshore habitats in that area of the southern North Sea Basin. © 2019 E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Germany.
The late middle Eocene (Bartonian) locality of Eocliff, in the Sperrgebiet (Namibia) has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna. Some birds have already been described from this locality: a small quail, Scopelortyx klinghardtensis, belonging to the extinct family Paraortygidae, and a small parrot, Namapsitta praeruptorum, referred to a family incertae sedis. In the new material remains of Scopelortyx occur which confirm the presence of the family Paraortygidae. Some fossils are attributed to a Charadriiform, closely related to the recent family Turnicidae (Buttonquails and Lark Buttonquails). Fossil remains of Turnicidae are very rare and stem group representatives of this family were hitherto known only from the Early Oligocene of the Northern Hemisphere. The Eocliff form is the earliest known worldwide. The new material of Namapsitta shows plesiomorphic characteristics and this genus is now placed in its own family Namapsittidae. The palaeoenvironment indicated by these birds includes grasslands with trees. Resumen: La localidad eocena media tardía (Bartoniense) de Eocliff en Sperrgebiet (Namibia) ha dado una rica fauna de vertebrados. Algunas aves provenientes de esta localidad ya han sido descritas: una pequeña codorniz, Scopelortyx klinghardtensis, perteneciente a la familia extinta Paraortygidae, y un pequeño loro, Namapsitta praeruptorum, atribuido a una familia incertae sedis. En este nuevo material se encuentran restos de Scopelortyx que confirman la presencia de la familia Paraortygidae. Algunos otros fósiles se atribuyen a un Charadriiformes, estrechamente relacionado con la familia reciente Turnicidae (Torillos y Torillo alaudino). Los restos fósiles de Turnicidae, o formas relacionadas con Turnicidae, son muy raros y los especímenes de Eocliff son los más antiguos conocidos. Los representantes ancestrales de esta familia eran conocidos hasta ahora a partir del Oligoceno temprano en el hemispherio norte. El nuevo material de Namapsitta muestra características plesiomórficas y este género se coloca ahora en su propia familia Namapsittidae. El paleoambiente indicado por los tres taxones incluye pastizales con árboles.
The Paleocene locality of Menat (Puy-de-Dôme, France) has yielded several avian fossils, which remained poorly studied, even though some were found almost a century ago. Here, we review some of the material in public collections and show that those birds from Menat, which are at least tentatively identifiable, resemble taxa from early Eocene fossil localities. A largely complete skeleton of a medium-sized bird with strong feet shows affinities to the early Eocene Halcyornithidae and Messelasturidae, which are considered to be representatives of the clade including Psittaciformes and Passeriformes. Another skeleton of a small species resembles the Songziidae from the lower Eocene of China, which are representatives of Ralloidea, the clade including Rallidae and Heliornithidae. A new and previously unreported specimen exhibits exceptional soft tissue preservation, in that the bones appear to be largely dissolved but the podotheca of the feet and even the soft parts around the shank are visible; the plumage remains of this specimen furthermore show an unusual bluish hue.
Although reconstruction of the phylogeny of living birds has progressed tremendously in the last decade, the evolutionary history of Neoaves-a clade that encompasses nearly all living bird species-remains the greatest unresolved challenge in dinosaur systematics. Here we investigate avian phylogeny with an unprecedented scale of data: >390,000 bases of genomic sequence data from each of 198 species of living birds, representing all major avian lineages, and two crocodilian outgroups. Sequence data were collected using anchored hybrid enrichment, yielding 259 nuclear loci with an average length of 1,523 bases for a total data set of over 7.8 × 10(7) bases. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses yielded highly supported and nearly identical phylogenetic trees for all major avian lineages. Five major clades form successive sister groups to the rest of Neoaves: (1) a clade including nightjars, other caprimulgiforms, swifts, and hummingbirds; (2) a clade uniting cuckoos, bustards, and turacos with pigeons, mesites, and sandgrouse; (3) cranes and their relatives; (4) a comprehensive waterbird clade, including all diving, wading, and shorebirds; and (5) a comprehensive landbird clade with the enigmatic hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) as the sister group to the rest. Neither of the two main, recently proposed Neoavian clades-Columbea and Passerea-were supported as monophyletic. The results of our divergence time analyses are congruent with the palaeontological record, supporting a major radiation of crown birds in the wake of the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction.
The excavations which have been carried out during the last fourty years in the Phosphorites du Quercy made it possible to find fossil avifaunas accurately dated by associated micro- and macromammals, and to also date some of the taxa gathered during the nineteenth century excavations. This work gives an updated list of the Quercy avifauna and includes the description of a new family, the Cypselavidae.
We report on an avian coracoid from the Quercy fissure fillings, in France, now recognized to belong to a Middle Eocene to Upper Oligocene sequence. It shares characteristic derived features with the corresponding bone of modern Psophiidae (Trumpeters), most notably a medial crest along the wide shaft and pneumatic openings on the extremitas sternalis. If assignment to trumpeters can be confirmed by future material, the specimen would be the first fossil record of trumpeters and a further example of a characteristic South American taxon, of which stem lineage representatives occurred in the Paleogene of Europe. Résumé -Cette étude concerne un coracoïde d'oiseau provenant des remplissages karstiques des Phosphorites du Quercy, dont les âges sont en majorité compris entre l'Eocène moyen et l'Oligocène supérieur. Ce coracoïde partage des caractères dérivés avec celui des Psophiidae, ou Agamis, actuels, principalement une diaphyse large s'étendant par une crête du côté médial et des orifices pneumatiques à l'extrémité sternale. Si l'attribution aux Psophiidae pouvait être confirmée dans le futur par la découverte d'éléments nouveaux, ce spécimen serait le plus ancien reste de Psophiidae connu jusqu'à présent. Plusieurs familles actuellement uniquement sud-américaines sont représentées dans le Paléogène d'Europe par des formes appartenant à des "stem-groups" de ces familles. La présence d'un Psophiidae dans le Quercy serait un nouvel exemple montrant que certains éléments caractéristiques de l'avifaune sud-américaine sont des relictes de groupes qui étaient également présents au Paléogène dans l'Hémisphère Nord.
Buttonquails (Turnicidae) are morphologically derived, quail-like members of the avian order Charadriiformes (shorebirds) that live in Old World dry tropical and subtropical open habitats. The morphological disparity between modern buttonquails and other shorebirds is bridged by Paleogene stem-group turnicids, which have a less specialised morphology. However, there is currently a large temporal gap in the fossil record between the earliest European buttonquails (early Oligocene) and the youngest pre-Quaternary records (late Miocene). Here we describe two new taxa from France, based on partial humeri, which we refer to Turnicidae gen. et sp. indet. The oldest record stems from deposits from the latest Oligocene, which are part of the Saint-Gérand-le-Puy fossil sites. The younger record is from the early-middle Miocene fissure filling of Vieux-Collonges. In morphology, both taxa are more similar to early Oligocene species of Turnipax Mayr, 2000 than to crown-group turnicids. Although the fossils are too fragmentary to allow ecomorphological interpretations, paleoenvironmental data suggest that, like Paleogene buttonquails, these taxa departed from the adaptations to open arid environments by modern-type turnicids. Our assessments therefore reinforce previous hypotheses that crown-group turnicids probably did not diversify before the late Miocene, and argue in favour of broader ecological preferences in stem-group turnicids.
Cranes (Gruidae) have a poor early fossil record, and the oldest ascertained fossils hitherto referred to the family (either as crown or stem-representatives) date back to the early or middle Miocene. Other Gruoidea have an even scarcer fossil record. Psophiidae and Aramidae are virtually unknown as fossils, and other fossil representatives of the Gruoidea are difficult to place. Here, we describe a new fossil that sheds new light on the early history of stem Gruidae, a right coracoid in dorsal view preserved on slab in limestone laminites of the early Oligocene « Calcaires de Campagne-Calavon» (Alpes de Haute Provence, France). It is compared with extant and fossil morphologically related taxa, and appears to differ from all extant and fossil relatives in the Gruoidea. The new fossil represents, among the Gruoidea, a new genus and species, Palaeogeranos tourmenti, placed within the clade (Aramidae + Gruidae) that is referred to as epifamily Gruoidae. Within Gruoidae, placement is tentative and we give arguments leading to propose a possible position as a stem Gruidae, a hypothesis to be tested with further discoveries. In this hypothesis, aged around 30 million years, the new fossil suggests that the stem of the Gruidae would date back to at least the earliest Oligocene, which is still compatible with current molecular phylogenetic divergence dates estimations, given the confidence intervals. Palaeogeranos will potentially help refining future calibrations for molecular phylogenetic studies, at least concerning the earliest Gruoidae (Aramidae + Gruidae).
We report new avian remains from the early Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of the Fisher/Sullivan site in Virginia, USA. The fossil material includes the first records of the Messelasturidae, Psittacopedidae, and Zygodactylidae from the Nanjemoy Formation, with these taxa being widespread and fairly common in coeval North American and European sites. Psittacopedidae and Zygodactylidae are stem group representatives of the Passeriformes, and a tibiotarsus assigned to the Psittacopedidae is unusual in that it lacks a supratendinal bridge (this bridge is, however, also absent in the psittacopedid taxon Pumiliornis). We further report more material of the Charadriiformes and corroborate a previous tentative referral of a tarsometatarsus to the Parvicuculidae. It is noted that this latter bone is likewise very similar to the tarsometatarsus of the Fluvioviridavidae, which indicates close affinities between the two higher-level clades. Because of the comparatively small extent of the new avian material, it is remarkable that it includes a comparatively high number of fossils that represent previously unknown taxa. This supports the hypothesis that early Eocene avifaunas featured a high taxonomic diversity, but that higher-level clades showed low species richness. We hypothesise that this may indicate low rates of cladogenetic diversification in a rather homogenous paleoenvironment.
We survey the known avian fossils from Ypresian (early Eocene) fossil sites of the North American Okanagan Highlands, mainly in British Columbia (Canada). All specimens represent taxa that were previously unknown from the Eocene of far-western North America. Wings from the McAbee site are tentatively referred to the Gaviiformes and would constitute the earliest fossil record of this group of birds. A postcranial skeleton from Driftwood Canyon is tentatively assigned to the Songziidae, a taxon originally established for fossils from the Ypresian of China. Two skeletons from Driftwood Canyon and the McAbee site are tentatively referred to Coliiformes and Zygodactylidae, respectively, whereas three further fossils from McAbee, Blakeburn, and Republic (Washington, USA) are too poorly preserved for even a tentative assignment. The specimens from the Okanagan Highlands inhabited relatively high paleoaltitudes with microthermal climates (except Quilchena: lower mesothermal) and mild winters, whereas most other Ypresian fossil birds are from much warmer lowland paleoenvironments with upper mesothermal to megathermal climates. The putative occurrence of a gaviiform bird is particularly noteworthy because diving birds are unknown from other lacustrine Ypresian fossil sites of the Northern Hemisphere. The bones of the putative zygodactylid show a sulphurous colouration, and we hypothesize that this highly unusual preservation may be due to the metabolic activity of sulphide-oxidizing bacteria.
The additions to the Lower Tertiary avifauna which have resulted from studies of material from Sheppey are summarised. Species of 13 orders and 16 familes have been identified and described from that area, and the present paper adds an additional family. The Falconidae are known in the Lower Tertiary only from a provisionally assigned species, and the family's presence is now confirmed by a new genus and species Stintonornis mitchelli. Rallidae of Recent type were also unknown from the Lower Eocene of Europe and 3 small rails are described: Parvirallus bassetti, P. medius and P. gassoni, the last smaller than any known rail.-Author
We restudy the holotype specimen of the alleged fossil auk Petralca austriaca from early Miocene marine deposits of the Austrian locality Pucking, which was considered the earliest European representative of Alcidae (auks). The specimen is a partial skeleton consisting mainly of wing bones on two slabs. A recent re-preparation yielded new data on the skeletal morphology of Petralca, which allow more detailed comparisons with auks and loons. Our study shows that the taxon is clearly distinguished from auks in various skeletal features and can be confidently identified as a loon (Gaviiformes). Petralca resembles Colymboides in overall morphology of the wing bones, and clearly is a stem group representative of Gaviiformes. However, some features indicate that it is more closely related to the crown group taxon Gavia than to the stem group taxa Colymboides and Colymbiculus. Unusually thick bone walls of the limb bones indicate well-developed diving capabilities for Petralca austriaca.
A small bird with a shorebird-like beak and a very long hind toe is described from the Early Eocene of Messel in Germany. Vanolimicola longihallucis, gen. et sp. nov. is one of the few candidate species for a “wading bird” from Messel, that is, a bird that may have foraged along the shoreline of the ancient lake. A few features indicate a relationship to charadriiform birds and Jacanidae (jacanas) in particular, but charadriiform affinities are only weakly supported. In the preserved skeletal elements, V. longihallucis also resembles the taxon Songzia from the Early Eocene of China, which is considered to be a representative of the Ralloidea (rails and allies). A potential biogeographic significance of the new Messel fossil is strengthened by similar fossils from the North American Green River Formation.
The Paleogene fossil record of rails (Sarothruridae and Rallidae) is very scanty. Here we describe a postcranial skeleton of a new rail from the early Oligocene locality Jamna Dolna in southeastern Poland. Although the preservation of the bones is poor, the fossil constitutes the most substantial record of a Paleogene rail. The new specimen is clearly distinguished from the coeval taxon Belgirallus, the only other temporally well-constrained early Oligocene rail. Neither Belgirallus nor the new Oligocene rail appear to have been directly ancestral to the rallid crown group taxa found in Europe today. A well-based phylogenetic placement of the new fossil is, however, impeded by its unusual character mosaic and the fact that morphological apomorphies are unknown for the ralloid subclades resulting from sequence-based phylogenies. © 2016 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Germany.
New avian remains from the early Eocene Nanjemoy Formation in Virginia (USA) are described. The material stems from the Fisher/Sullivan site and consists of isolated bones. These belong to at least 13 species, most of which have not yet been reported from the Nanjemoy Formation. The fossil material includes the oldest unambiguous record of a charadriiform bird and a new species of protostrigid owl, which represents the smallest known owl species. Other specimens are tentatively assigned to the Procellariiformes, the suliform Fregatidae, the gruiform Messelornithidae, and the apodiform Eocypselidae. A complete and well-preserved tarsometatarsus of the psittacopasserine Halcyornithidae provides new data on the osteology of these enigmatic birds, and a distal tibiotarsus is tentatively assigned to the Trogoniformes. The identification of a number of fossils is uncertain, with the bones showing similarities to Threskiornithidae and extinct taxa from the early Eocene of Europe (Microena, Morsoravis). All bird fossils from the Nanjemoy Formation are three-dimensionally preserved and, therefore, allow a detailed assessment of osteological features, which complements studies of compression fossils from lagerstätten-type fossil sites.
The Chionoidea are a small, southern hemispheric shorebird clade that today includes the Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellidae) and two species of sheathbills (Chionidae). Here we describe the first fossil remains attributable to this group. The two newly described species, the early Miocene Neilus sansomae gen. et sp. nov. from New Zealand and the late Oligocene Chionoides australiensis gen. et sp. nov. from South Australia, are overall more similar to sheathbills, but the mosaic of characters shared with both Chionidae and Pluvianellidae preclude referral to either lineage. Attribution of fossils this age to these lineages also conflicts with divergence dates based on molecular data, as the split between the Magellanic Plover and sheathbills is hypothesised to be more recent. We therefore suggest that these Australasian, plover-size species represent the first record of stem-group taxa within Chionoidea.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2A5A2FD1-C3B5-4BAB-88D8-5862FE9E7976
Avian remains from the lowermost Oligocene of Hoogbutsel (Belgium) are described. The material includes a new species of loon (Gaviiformes, Gaviidae), Colymboides belgicus n. sp., which is the largest Lower Tertiary representative of the Gaviidae known so far. A new taxon of the Palaelodidae (Phoenicopteriformes) is described as Adelalopus hoogbutseliensis n. gen. n. sp., and is unusual in that the caudal surface of the extremitas sternalis of the furcula bears a deep cavity. A distal tarsometatarsus of a small falconiform bird is tentatively assigned to the Accipitridae. Another distal end of a tarsometatarsus belongs to a strigiform bird and most closely resembles Prosybris antiqua Milne-Edwards 1867-71. In addition, mousebirds (Coliiformes, Coliidae) are represented by a fragmentary distal tarsometatarsus. A new taxon of the Sylphornithidae (Aves incertae sedis) is described as Oligosylphe mourerchauvireae n. gen. n. sp.: It is the first Oligocene record of this family which before was only known from the Upper Eocene of France.
A partial skeleton of a medium-sized fossil rail is described from the early Oligocene of Hofheim-Wallau in Germany and tentatively assigned to Belgirallus oligocaenus Mayr & Smith 2001. It is the earliest substantial fossil record of Rallidae and for the first time provides information on the limb proportions of Paleogene rails. Based on foot morphology, the fossil specimen can be assigned to the Rallinae, i.e. a clade including all Rallidae except the Nkulengu Rail Himantornis haematopus. Although it is not possible to further assign it to any subclade within Rallinae, the fossil provides an early Oligocene minimum age for the divergence between H. haematopus and Rallinae.
The third installment of the Catalogue of Fossil Birds treats 84 families comprising the orders Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, and Charadriiformes. The species included in this section number 366, of which 215 are paleospecies and 151 are neospecies. With the addenda of 14 paleospecies, the three parts now published treat 1,236 species, of which 771 are paleospecies and 465 are living or recently extinct. The nominal order Diatrymiformes is reduced in rank to a suborder of the Ralliformes, and several generally recognized families are reduced to subfamily status. These include Geranoididae and Eogruidae (to Gruidae); Brontornithidae (to Phorusrhacidae); Bathornithidae, Psilopteridae, and "Hermosiornithidae" (to Cariamidae); Rostratulidae, Charadriidae, Phalaropodidae, and Haematopodidae (to Scolopacidae); Presbyornithidae (to Recurvirostridae); Rhegminornithidae (to Jacanidae); and Mancallidae (to Alcidae). New taxa include the family Gryzajidae (for Gryzaja odessana Zubareva, in suborder Otides); the subfamilies Palaeociconiinae (for Palaeociconia Moreno and Mercerat, in Phorusrhacidae) and Prophororhacinae (for Prophororhacus Rovereto, in Cariamidae); the genus Eortyx (for Tringa? hoffmanni Gervais, in Gallinuloidinae); and the species Gallinula kansarum (Upper Pliocene, Kansas), Eogrus wetmorei (Upper Miocene, Inner Mongolia), Limosa ossivallis (Lower Pliocene, Florida), and Erolia ennouchii (new name for Totanus minor Ennouchi, preoccupied).
Three avian footprints from a well-known early Eocene fossil track locality in Utah appear to represent an otherwise unknown stilt-like bird, possibly referable to the Recurvirostridae. The bird that made these tracks had very long legs but relatively short toes and was probably somewhat smaller than modern stilts (Himantopus). There was a vestigial hind toe and the feet were webbed, but the webbing was reduced more than in Recurvirostra or Cladorhynchus, but not nearly as much as in Himantopus. This may constitute the oldest evidence yet found of a recurvirostid-like bird, although the family probably originated even earlier if it gave rise to flamingos (Phoenicopteridae), which were already in existence by the early and middle Eocene.