Precursor (bird) explained

"Precursor" is a controversial prehistoric bird genus from the Early Eocene.[1] It was established based on fossils found in England, including in the famous London Clay deposits. Three species are included in the genus: "P." parvus, the type species, "P." magnus, and "P." litorum, all named by Colin Harrison and Cyril Walker in 1977.[2] [3]

These remains were originally considered to be members of the Charadriiformes, more specifically the earliest representatives of the Glareolidae (pratincoles and coursers).[2] However, several authors have since found this interpretation to be dubious,[1] [4] with the lack of measurements and contradictory wording making the original description's conclusions difficult to verify.[5] At least some of the material, namely the paratype humerus of "P." parvus, has been re-interpreted as belonging to the Pseudasturidae (or Halcyornithidae), a group of stem-parrots, the remains of which (including a complete skeleton) were found in the Green River Formation in the United States.[6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. J. . Mlikovsky . Tertiary avian faunas of Europe . 1996 . Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica . 39 . 777–818 . 2016-12-28 . 2016-12-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161229034044/http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/108-1996-TertiaryavifaunasofEurope.pdf . dead .
  2. Harrison . C. J. O. . Walker . C. A. . 1977 . Birds of the British Lower Eocene . Tertiary Research, Special Paper . 3 . 1–52.
  3. J. . Mlikovsky . Tertiary Avian Localities of the United Kingdom . 1996 . Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica . 39 . 777–818 . 2016-12-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412212332/http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/106-1996-TertiaryofUnitedKingdom.pdf . 2016-04-12 . dead .
  4. J. . Mlikovsky . Early Miocene pratincoles (Aves, Glareolidae) from Dolnice, Czech Republic . Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae . 64 . 93–96 . 2000 . 2016-12-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140906021023/http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/135-2000-MioceneGlareolidae.pdf . 2014-09-06 . dead .
  5. Steadman . D.W. . Review: Birds of the British Lower Eocene by C. J. O. Harrison, C. A. Walker . The Auk . 1981 . 98 . 1 . 205–207 . 4085636.
  6. G. . Mayr . On the osteology and phylogenetic affinities of the Pseudasturidae – Lower Eocene stem-group representatives of parrots (Aves, Psittaciformes) . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 136 . 4 . 2002 . 10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00042.x . 715–729 . 10.1.1.729.6773 .
  7. D.T. . Ksepka . J.A. . Clarke . L. . Grande . Stem Parrots (Aves, Halcyornithidae) from the Green River Formation and a Combined Phylogeny of Pan-Psittaciformes . Journal of Paleontology . 85 . 5 . 835–852 . 2011 . 10.1666/10-108.1. 2011JPal...85..835K . 86618579 .