Contents
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 fLithornithidae 26
5.2 fPalaeotididae, fRemiornithidae, and fEleutherornithidae 28
5.2.1 fPalaeotididae 28
5.2.2 fRemiornithidae 29
5.2.3 fEleutherornithidae 30
5.3 fEremopezidae 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 fGallinuloididae 36
6.1.2 fParaortygidae 40
6.1.3 fProcrax, fArchaealectrornis, and fPalaeonossax 41
6.1.4 fQuercymegapodiidae 41
6.1.5 Megapodiidae (Megapodes) 42
6.1.6 Phasianidae (Grouse, Quails, Pheasants, and Allies) 42
6.2 fGastornithidae 44
6.3 tDromornithidae 47
6.4 Anseriformes (Waterfowl) 48
6.4.1 Anhimidae (Screamers) 48
6.4.2 Anseranatidae (Magpie Geese) 49
6.4.3 fPresbyornithidae 51
6.4.4 Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans) 53
6.5 fPelagornithidae (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 fProtoplotidae 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 fPlotopteridae 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 tXenerodiopidae 81
7.9 Threskiornithidae (Ibises) 81
7.10 Ciconiidae (Storks) 84
7.11 fProphaethontidae 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 tMesselornithidae and tWalbeckornis 93
9.2 Ralloidea (Finfoots and Rails) 96
9.3 Gruoidea (Trumpeters, Limpkins, and Cranes) 99
9.3.1 tParvigruidae 100
9.3.2 tGeranoididae 101
9.3.3 tEogruidae 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 fForatidae 112
11.4 Musophagiformes (Turacos) 113
11.5 Cuculiformes (Cuckoos) 113
11.6 tPumiliornis and tMorsoravis 114
11.7 tParvicuculidae 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 tFluvioviridavidae 119
12.2 Steatornithidae (Oilbirds) 124
12.3 Podargidae (Frogmouths) 124
12.4 tProtocypselomorphus 125
12.5 tArchaeotrogonidae 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 tEocypselidae 130
12.7.2 tAegialornithidae 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 tPhorusrhacidae 139
13.2 tIdiornithidae and tElaphrocnemus 142
13.3 tBathornithidae 146
13.4 tAmeghinornithidae 148
13.5 tSalmilidae 150
13.6 tGradiornis 152
14 "Falconiformes" (Diurnal Birds of Prey) 153
14.1 Falconidae (Falcons) 153
14.2 tMasillaraptor 155
14.3 tTeratornithidae and Cathartidae (New Word Vultures) 156
14.4 fHorusornithidae 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 tBerruornis and tSophiornithidae 163
15.2 tProtostrigidae 164
15.3 tOgygoptyngidae 165
15.4 tNecrobyinae, tPalaeoglaucidae, and tSelenornithinae 166
16 Arboreal Birds 169
16.1 Leptosomidae (Courols) 169
16.2 Coliiformes (Mousebirds) 171
16.2.1 tSandcoleidae 172
16.2.2 Coliidae 172
16.3 Psittaciformes (Parrots) 177
16.3.1 tPsittacopes and Allies 177
16.3.2 tQuercypsittidae 179
16.3.3 tHalcyornithidae ("Pseudasturidae") 180
16.3.4 tMesselasturidae 183
16.4 tZygodactylidae and Passeriformes (Passerines) 184
16.4.1 tZygodactylidae 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 tPrimobucconidae 195
16.7.2 tEocoraciidae and tGeranopteridae 195
16.8 Alcediniformes (Bee-Eaters, Kingfishers, Todies, and Motmots) 197
16.9 Piciformes (Jacamars, Puffbirds, Woodpeckers, and Allies) 199
16.9.1 tSylphornithidae 200
16.9.2 Pici 201
16.10 tGracilitarsidae 201
16.11 tCladornithidae 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
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