Fred Ruhe
Well-known member
Cécile MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ, Martin PICKFORD & Brigitte SENUT, 2017
New data on stem group Galliformes, Charadriiformes, and Psittaciformes from the middle Eocene of Namibia
Paleontología y Evolución de las Aves. Contribuciones Científicas del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, 7: 99–131
Another paper from the 2016 SAPE meeting.
Abstract:
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.
The paper describes the followinng new taxa:
Order Charadriiformes (Huxley, 1867)
Family incertae sedis, related to Turnicidae
Eocliffia gen. nov.
Type-species. Eocliffia primaeva sp. nov.
and:
Order Psittaciformes Wagler, 1830
Family Namapsittidae nov.
Genus Namapsitta Mourer-Chauviré et al., 2015
Namapsitta praeruptorum Mourer-Chauviré et al., 2015
Enjoy,
Fred
New data on stem group Galliformes, Charadriiformes, and Psittaciformes from the middle Eocene of Namibia
Paleontología y Evolución de las Aves. Contribuciones Científicas del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, 7: 99–131
Another paper from the 2016 SAPE meeting.
Abstract:
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.
The paper describes the followinng new taxa:
Order Charadriiformes (Huxley, 1867)
Family incertae sedis, related to Turnicidae
Eocliffia gen. nov.
Type-species. Eocliffia primaeva sp. nov.
and:
Order Psittaciformes Wagler, 1830
Family Namapsittidae nov.
Genus Namapsitta Mourer-Chauviré et al., 2015
Namapsitta praeruptorum Mourer-Chauviré et al., 2015
Enjoy,
Fred
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