Paleogene Fossil Birds

by Mayr, Gerald

• ISBN13: 9783540896272
• ISBN10: 3540896279
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-03
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

The present book is the first detailed review of the Paleogene avian fossil record on a worldwide scale. Numerous well-preserved fossil bird remains from this geological period, which covers the time span from the end of the Mesozoic era to the beginning of the Miocene, have been described in the past two decades. Some of these not only provide information on morphological transformations in the evolutionary history of the extant avian taxa, but are also of great significance for an understanding of their historical biogeography. Others represent extinct taxa which sometimes show a bizarre morphology not found in modern birds, such as the giant pseudo-toothed birds which reached wingspans up to six meters.The reader is introduced to basic morphological features of the various groups which, as far as possible, are placed into a phylogenetic context in the light of current hypotheses on the interrelationships of extant birds. In a concluding chapter the biogeographical significance of Paleogene fossil birds and possible reasons for faunal changes during the Paleogene are detailed. As such, the book not only aims at providing an overview for specialists, but may also help students of other fields of vertebrate paleontology to better understand Paleogene ecosystems.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Stratigraphy and Major Fossil Localities	p. 5
Europe	p. 5
Asia	p. 7
North America	p. 8
Central and South America	p. 9
Africa	p. 10
Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica	p. 10
Higher-Level Phylogeny of Extant Birds	p. 13
Mesozoic Neornithes	p. 19
Palaeognathous Birds	p. 25
†Lithornithidae	p. 26
†Palaeotididae, †Remiornithidae, and †Eleutherornithidae	p. 28
†Palaeotididae	p. 28
Remiornithidae	p. 29
†Eleutherornithidae	p. 30
Eremopezidae	p. 31
Rheidae (Rheas)	p. 32
Casuariidae (Emus and Cassowaries)	p. 33
Putative Ratite from the Eocene of Antarctica	p. 33
Galloanseres	p. 35
Galliformes (Landfowl)	p. 35
†Gallinuloididae	p. 36
†Paraortygidae	p. 40
†Procrax, †Archaealectrornis, and †Palaeonossax	p. 41
Quercymegapodiidae	p. 41
Megapodiidae (Megapodes)	p. 42
Phasianidae (Grouse, Quails, Pheasants, and Allies)	p. 42
†Gastornithidae	p. 44
Dromornithidae	p. 47
Anseriformes (Waterfowl)	p. 48
Anhimidae (Screamers)	p. 48
Anseranatidae (Magpie Geese)	p. 49
†Presbyornithidae	p. 51
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)	p. 53
†Pelagornithidae (Bony-Toothed Birds)	p. 55
Aquatic and Semiaquatic Taxa	p. 61
Fregatidae (Frigatebirds) and Suloidea (Gannets, Boobies, Cormorants, and Anhingas)	p. 61
†Protoplotidae	p. 62
Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)	p. 63
Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies)	p. 64
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants) and Anhingidae (Anhingas)	p. 65
†Plotopteridae	p. 67
Sphenisciformes (Penguins)	p. 70
Gaviiformes (Loons)	p. 75
Procellariiformes (Tubenoses)	p. 76
Scopidae (Hamerkop), Balaenicipitidae (Shoebill), and Pelecanidae (Pelicans)	p. 80
Ardeidae (Herons)	p. 80
†Xenerodiopidae	p. 81
Threskiornithidae (Ibises)	p. 81
Ciconiidae (Storks)	p. 84
Prophaethontidae and Phaethontidae (Tropicbirds)	p. 84
Charadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)	p. 87
Lari (Gulls, Auks, and Allies)	p. 88
Charadrii (Plovers and Allies)	p. 89
Scolopaci (Sandpipers and Allies)	p. 90
"Core-Gruiformes" (Rails, Cranes, and Allies)	p. 93
†Messelornithidae and †Walbeckornis	p. 93
Ralloidea (Finfoots and Rails)	p. 96
Gruoidea (Trumpeters, Limpkins, and Cranes)	p. 99
†Parvigruidae	p. 100
†Geranoididae	p. 101
†Eogruidae	p. 102
Aramidae (Limpkins) and Gruidae (Cranes)	p. 103
Phoenicopteriformes (Flamingos) and Podicipediformes (Grebes)	p. 105
Columbiformes (Doves and Sandgrouse), Cuculiformes (Cuckoos), and Other Neoavian Taxa of Uncertain Affinities	p. 111
Columbiformes (Doves and Sandgrouse)	p. 111
Opisthocomiformes (Hoatzin)	p. 112
†Foratidae	p. 112
Musophagiformes (Turacos)	p. 113
Cuculiformes (Cuckoos)	p. 113
†Pumiliornis and †Morsoravis	p. 114
†Parvicuculidae	p. 115
Otididae (Bustards), Eurypygidae (Sunbittern), Rhynochetidae (Kagu), and Mesitornithidae (Mesites)	p. 116
"Caprimulgiformes" and Apodiformes (Nightjars and Allies, Swifts, and Hummingbirds)	p. 119
†Fluvioviridavidae	p. 119
Steatornithidae (Oilbirds)	p. 124
Podargidae (Frogmouths)	p. 124
Protocypselomorphus	p. 125
†Archaeotrogonidae	p. 126
Nyctibiidae (Potoos) and Caprimulgidae (Nightjars)	p. 128
Nyctibiidae	p. 128
Caprimulgidae	p. 128
Aegothelidae (Owlet-Nightjars) and Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)	p. 129
†Eocypselidae	p. 130
†Aegialornithidae	p. 132
Hemiprocnidae (Tree Swifts) and Apodidae (True Swifts)	p. 133
Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)	p. 135
Cariamae (Seriemas and Allies)	p. 139
†Phorusrhacidae	p. 139
†Idiornithidae and †Elaphrocnemus	p. 142
†Bathornithidae	p. 146
†Ameghinornithidae	p. 148
†Salmilidae	p. 150
Gradiornis	p. 152
"Falconiformes" (Diurnal Birds of Prey)	p. 153
Falconidae (Falcons)	p. 153
†Masillaraptor	p. 155
†Teratornithidae and Cathartidae (New Word Vultures)	p. 156
†Horusornithidae	p. 158
Sagittariidae (Secretary Birds), Pandionidae (Ospreys), and Accipitridae (Hawks and Allies)	p. 158
Sagittariidae	p. 158
Accipitridae and Pandionidae	p. 159
Strigiformes (Owls)	p. 163
†Berruornis and †Sophiornithidae	p. 163
†Protostrigidae	p. 164
†Ogygoptyngidae	p. 165
†Necrobyinae, †Palaeoglaucidae, and †Selenornithinae	p. 166
Arboreal Birds	p. 169
Leptosomidae (Courols)	p. 169
Coliiformes (Mousebirds)	p. 171
†Sandcoleidae	p. 172
Coliidae	p. 172
Psittaciformes (Parrots)	p. 177
†Psittacopes and Allies	p. 177
†Quercypsittidae	p. 179
†Halcyornithidae ("Pseudasturidae")	p. 180
†Messelasturidae	p. 183
†Zygodactylidae and Passeriformes (Passerines)	p. 184
†Zygodactylidae	p. 185
Passeriformes	p. 189
Trogoniformes (Trogons)	p. 191
Bucerotes (Hornbills, Hoopoes, and Woodhoopoes)	p. 191
Coraciidae/Brachypteraciidae (Rollers and Ground Rollers)	p. 194
†Primobucconidae	p. 195
†Eocoraciidae and †Geranopteridae	p. 195
Alcediniformes (Bee-Eaters, Kingfishers, Todies, and Motmots)	p. 197
Piciformes (Jacamars, Puffbirds, Woodpeckers, and Allies)	p. 199
†Sylphornithidae	p. 200
Pici	p. 201
†Gracilitarsidae	p. 201
†Cladornithidae	p. 203
Paleogene Avifaunas: Synopsis of General Aspects	p. 205
Continental Avifaunas of the Northern Hemisphere	p. 205
Biogeography	p. 205
Climatic Cooling and Avifaunal Turnovers	p. 208
Continental Avifaunas of the Southern Hemisphere	p. 209
Biogeography	p. 209
Extant Southern Hemisphere "Endemics" in the Paleogene of the Northern Hemisphere	p. 213
Ecological Interactions	p. 214
Mammalian Evolution and Terrestrial Avifaunas	p. 214
The Impact of Passerines on the Diversity of Paleogene Avian Insectivores	p. 216
Marine Avifaunas	p. 217
Appendix	p. 221
References	p. 227
Index	p. 255
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