Paleogene Fossil Birds Book

1 Introduction 1

2 Stratigraphy and Major Fossil Localities 5

2.1 Europe 5

2.2 Asia 7

2.3 North America 8

2.4 Central and South America 9

2.5 Africa 10

2.6 Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica 10

3 Higher-Level Phylogeny of Extant Birds 13

4 Mesozoic Neornithes 19

5 Palaeognathous Birds 25

5.1 †Lithornithidae 26

5.2 †Palaeotididae, †Remiornithidae, and †Eleutherornithidae 28

5.2.1 †Palaeotididae 28

5.2.2 Remiornithidae 29

5.2.3 †Eleutherornithidae 30

5.3 Eremopezidae 31

5.4 Rheidae (Rheas) 32

5.5 Casuariidae (Emus and Cassowaries) 33

5.6 Putative Ratite from the Eocene of Antarctica 33

6 Galloanseres 35

6.1 Galliformes (Landfowl) 35

6.1.1 †Gallinuloididae 36

6.1.2 †Paraortygidae 40

6.1.3 †Procrax, †Archaealectrornis, and †Palaeonossax 41

6.1.4† Quercymegapodiidae 41

6.1.5 Megapodiidae (Megapodes) 42

6.1.6 Phasianidae (Grouse, Quails, Pheasants, and Allies) 42

6.2 †Gastornithidae 44

6.3 Dromornithidae 47

6.4 Anseriformes (Waterfowl) 48

6.4.1 Anhimidae (Screamers) 48

6.4.2 Anseranatidae (Magpie Geese) 49

6.4.3 †Presbyornithidae 51

6.4.4 Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans) 53

6.5 †Pelagornithidae (Bony-Toothed Birds) 55

7 Aquatic and Semiaquatic Taxa 61

7.1 Fregatidae (Frigatebirds) and Suloidea (Gannets, Boobies, Cormorants, and Anhingas) 61

7.1.1 †Protoplotidae 62

7.1.2 Fregatidae (Frigatebirds) 63

7.1.3 Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies) 64

7.1.4 Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants) and Anhingidae (Anhingas) 65

7.2 †Plotopteridae 67

7.3 Sphenisciformes (Penguins) 70

7.4 Gaviiformes (Loons)75

7.5 Procellariiformes (Tubenoses) 76

7.6 Scopidae (Hamerkop), Balaenicipitidae (Shoebill), and Pelecanidae (Pelicans) 80

7.7 Ardeidae (Herons) 80

7.8 †Xenerodiopidae 81

7.9 Threskiornithidae (Ibises) 81

7.10 Ciconiidae (Storks) 84

7.11 Prophaethontidae and Phaethontidae (Tropicbirds) 84

8 Charadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies) 87

8.1 Lari (Gulls, Auks, and Allies) 88

8.2 Charadrii (Plovers and Allies) 89

8.3 Scolopaci (Sandpipers and Allies) 90

9 "Core-Gruiformes" (Rails, Cranes, and Allies) 93

9.1 †Messelornithidae and †Walbeckornis 93

9.2 Ralloidea (Finfoots and Rails) 96

9.3 Gruoidea (Trumpeters, Limpkins, and Cranes) 99

9.3.1 †Parvigruidae 100

9.3.2 †Geranoididae 101

9.3.3 †Eogruidae 102

9.3.4 Aramidae (Limpkins) and Gruidae (Cranes) 103

10 Phoenicopteriformes (Flamingos) and Podicipediformes (Grebes) 105

11 Columbiformes (Doves and Sandgrouse), Cuculiformes (Cuckoos), and Other Neoavian Taxa of Uncertain Affinities 111

11.1 Columbiformes (Doves and Sandgrouse) 111

11.2 Opisthocomiformes (Hoatzin) 112

11.3 †Foratidae 112

11.4 Musophagiformes (Turacos) 113

11.5 Cuculiformes (Cuckoos) 113

11.6 †Pumiliornis and †Morsoravis 114

11.7 †Parvicuculidae 115

11.8 Otididae (Bustards), Eurypygidae (Sunbittern), Rhynochetidae (Kagu), and Mesitornithidae (Mesites) 116

12 "Caprimulgiformes" and Apodiformes (Nightjars and Allies, Swifts, and Hummingbirds) 119

12.1 †Fluvioviridavidae 119

12.2 Steatornithidae (Oilbirds) 124

12.3 Podargidae (Frogmouths) 124

12.4 Protocypselomorphus 125

12.5 †Archaeotrogonidae 126

12.6 Nyctibiidae (Potoos) and Caprimulgidae (Nightjars) 128

12.6.1 Nyctibiidae 128

12.6.2 Caprimulgidae 128

12.7 Aegothelidae (Owlet-Nightjars) and Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds) 129

12.7.1 †Eocypselidae 130

12.7.2 †Aegialornithidae 132

12.7.3 Hemiprocnidae (Tree Swifts) and Apodidae (True Swifts) 133

12.7.4 Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) 135

13 Cariamae (Seriemas and Allies) 139

13.1 †Phorusrhacidae 139

13.2 †Idiornithidae and †Elaphrocnemus 142

13.3 †Bathornithidae 146

13.4 †Ameghinornithidae 148

13.5 †Salmilidae 150

13.6 Gradiornis 152

14 "Falconiformes" (Diurnal Birds of Prey) 153

14.1 Falconidae (Falcons) 153

14.2 †Masillaraptor 155

14.3 †Teratornithidae and Cathartidae (New Word Vultures) 156

14.4 †Horusornithidae 158

14.5 Sagittariidae (Secretary Birds), Pandionidae (Ospreys), and Accipitridae (Hawks and Allies) 158

14.5.1 Sagittariidae 158

14.5.2 Accipitridae and Pandionidae 159

15 Strigiformes (Owls) 163

15.1 †Berruornis and †Sophiornithidae 163

15.2 †Protostrigidae 164

15.3 †Ogygoptyngidae 165

15.4 †Necrobyinae, †Palaeoglaucidae, and †Selenornithinae 166

16 Arboreal Birds 169

16.1 Leptosomidae (Courols) 169

16.2 Coliiformes (Mousebirds) 171

16.2.1 †Sandcoleidae 172

16.2.2 Coliidae 172

16.3 Psittaciformes (Parrots) 177

16.3.1 †Psittacopes and Allies 177

16.3.2 †Quercypsittidae 179

16.3.3 †Halcyornithidae ("Pseudasturidae") 180

16.3.4 †Messelasturidae 183

16.4 †Zygodactylidae and Passeriformes (Passerines) 184

16.4.1 †Zygodactylidae 185

16.4.2 Passeriformes 189

16.5 Trogoniformes (Trogons) 191

16.6 Bucerotes (Hornbills, Hoopoes, and Woodhoopoes) 191

16.7 Coraciidae/Brachypteraciidae (Rollers and Ground Rollers) 194

16.7.1 †Primobucconidae 195

16.7.2 †Eocoraciidae and †Geranopteridae 195

16.8 Alcediniformes (Bee-Eaters, Kingfishers, Todies, and Motmots) 197

16.9 Piciformes (Jacamars, Puffbirds, Woodpeckers, and Allies) 199

16.9.1 †Sylphornithidae 200

16.9.2 Pici 201

16.10 †Gracilitarsidae 201

16.11 †Cladornithidae 203

17 Paleogene Avifaunas: Synopsis of General Aspects 205

17.1 Continental Avifaunas of the Northern Hemisphere 205

17.1.1 Biogeography 205

17.1.2 Climatic Cooling and Avifaunal Turnovers 208

17.2 Continental Avifaunas of the Southern Hemisphere 209

17.2.1 Biogeography 209

17.2.2 Extant Southern Hemisphere "Endemics" in the Paleogene of the Northern Hemisphere 213

17.3 Ecological Interactions 214

17.3.1 Mammalian Evolution and Terrestrial Avifaunas 214

17.3.2 The Impact of Passerines on the Diversity of Paleogene Avian Insectivores 216

17.3.3 Marine Avifaunas 217

Appendix 221

References 227

Index 255