Lithornithidae
| Lithornithidae Temporal range: Paleocene-Eocene, 56–40 Ma Possible Cretaceous reccord | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius fossil cast, Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | †Lithornithiformes |
| Family: | †Lithornithidae Houde, 1988 |
| Genera | |
|
Lithornis | |
Lithornithidae is an extinct, possibly paraphyletic[1] clade of early paleognath birds. They are known from fossils dating to the Upper Paleocene through the Middle Eocene of North America and Europe, with possible Late Cretaceous representatives.[1][2] All are extinct today.[3]
Lithornithids had long, slender, bills for probing. They closely resembled modern tinamous. They possessed a rhynchokinetic skull with relatively unfused cranial bones, a weakly fused pygostyle and a splenial. They had a strongly developed keel on the sternum. The smaller members in genus Lithornis and Pseudocrypturus were good fliers, but the heavier Paracathartes was probably only a facultative flier. The unguals were more curved than in tinamous and probably allowed better perching in trees.
The order Lithornithiformes was erected by Dr. Peter Houde in 1988. Three genera are included; Lithornis, Paracathartes, and Pseudocrypturus. There are eight named species.[3] Promusophaga (Harrisson & Walker, 1977) may belong in Lithornithiformes too. Fissuravis may also belong to the clade,[4] and several unnamed remains are known.
Taxonomy
Lithornithiformes Houde 1988[5][6]
- †Lithornithidae Houde 1988 (False tinamous)
- †Fissuravis weigelti Mayr 2007
- †Paracathartes howardae Harrison 1979 (Early Eocene of WC US)
- †Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius Houde 1988
- †Lithornis Owen 1840 [Promusophaga Harrison & Walker 1977; Pediorallus Harrison 1984; Parvigyps Harrison & Walker 1977] (Paleocene – Early Eocene)
- †L. celetius Houde 1988
- †L. plebius Houde 1988
- †L. promiscuous Houde 1988
- †L. nasi (Harrison 1984) Houde 1988 [Pediorallus nasi Harrison 1984]
- †L. hookeri (Harrison 1984) Houde 1988 [Pediorallus hookeri Harrison 1984]
- †L. vulturinus Owen 1840 [Parvigyps praecox Harrison & Walker 1977; Promusophaga magnifica Harrison & Walker 1977; Pediorallus barbarae Harrison & Walker 1977a] (London Clay Early Eocene of England)
References
- 1 2 Paleogene Fossil Birds
- ↑ A lithornithid (Aves: Palaeognathae) from the Paleocene (Tiffanian) of southern California
- 1 2 Houde, Peter W. (1988). "Paleognathous Birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere". Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club (Cambridge Massachusetts, USA: Nuttall Ornithological Club) 22.
- ↑ Gerald Mayr, Paleogene Fossil Birds
- ↑ Mikko's Phylogeny Archive Haaramo, Mikko (2007). "Paleognathia - paleognathous modern birds". Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ↑ Paleofile.com (net, info) . "Taxonomic lists- Aves". Retrieved 30 December 2015.