List of fossil bird genera

A replica of the Berlin specimen of Archaeopteryx, most famous of prehistoric "birds". Modern research considers it unlikely to be a bird ancestor, though it was certainly a close relative of these.

Birds evolved from certain feathered theropod dinosaurs, and there is no real dividing line between birds and non-avian dinosaurs except that some of the former survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event while the latter did not. For the purposes of this article, a 'bird' is considered to be any member of the clade Avialae.[1] Some dinosaur groups which may or may not be true birds are listed below under Proto-birds.

This page contains a listing of prehistoric bird taxa only known from completely fossilized specimens. These extinctions took place before the Late Quaternary and thus took place in the absence of significant human interference. While the earliest hominids had been eating birds and especially their eggs, human population and technology was simply insufficient to seriously affect healthy bird populations until the Upper Paleolithic Revolution. Rather, reasons for the extinctions listed here are stochastic abiotic events such as bolide impacts, climate changes due to orbital shifts, mass volcanic eruptions etc. Alternatively, species may have gone extinct due to evolutionary displacement by successor or competitor taxa – it is notable that an extremely large number of seabirds have gone extinct during the mid-Tertiary; this seems at least partly due to competition by the contemporary radiation of marine mammals.

The relationships of these taxa are often hard to determine, as many are known only from very fragmentary remains and due to the complete fossilization precluding analysis of information from DNA, RNA or protein sequencing. The taxa listed in this article should be classified with the Wikipedia conservation status category "Fossil".

Before the late 19th century, when minerals were still considered one of the kingdoms of binomial nomenclature, fossils were often treated according to a parallel taxonomy. Rather than assigning them to animal or plant genera, they were treated as mineral genera and given binomial names typically using Osteornis ("bone-bird") or Ornitholithus ("bird fossil") as "genus". The latter name, however, is still in use for an oogenus of fossil bird eggs. Also, other animals (in particular pterosaurs) were placed in these "genera". In sources pre-dating the Linnean system, the above terms are also seen in the more extensive descriptions used to name taxa back then.


Taxonomic list of fossil prehistoric birds

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Higher-level taxa are presented in likely or suspected phylogenetic order. Genus-level taxa and lower are sorted chronologically, in ascending order (i.e., older taxa first).

The higher-level groups of non-Neornithes are arranged based on the phylogeny proposed by Luis Chiappe,[2] updated and expanded to incorporate recent research.[3] The categories are inclusive in ascending order.

Taxonomic assignments, especially in the pygostylian to early neornithine genera, are still very provisional and subject to quite frequent change.[4][5]

Basal Avialae (extinct)

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The most primitive "birds", usually still possessing a long bony tail with generally unfused vertebrae. Not all of these may be on the line of bird ancestors; whether they are not closer to other theropods groups than to the Avialae remains to be thoroughly tested (see Xiaotingia).

Basal Pygostylia (extinct)

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The earliest birds with a modern pygostyle: a reduction and fusion of the tail vertebrae; possibly a paraphyletic group. Two types of pygostyle are known, a rod-shaped one found in Confuciusornithidae, Enantiornithes and some non-avian theropods such as Nomingia, and a plowshare-shaped one, only known in the lineage leading to modern birds. It is not certain that the pygostyles found in birds are indeed synapomorphies.[6]

Enantiornithes (extinct)

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Reconstruction of Iberomesornis romerali, a tiny primitive enantiornithine.
It was no bigger than a modern-day finch.

The taxonomic list of enantiornithine groups presented here follows a summary published by Thomas R. Holz Jr. in 2011.[7]

Enantiornithes

Note that Holtz (2011) also included Zhyraornis in his classification of euenantiornithines, though this genus is more often classified as an ornithuran.[13] Holtz also placed Liaoningornis as an ornithuromorph, though more recent studies have placed it as a close relative of Eoalulavis.[14]

Basal Euornithes (extinct)

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Also called "basal Ornithuromorpha".[15] Essentially modern birds, except many still possess a few primitive features such as teeth or wing claws. These have the plowshare-shaped pygostyle and proper tail fan as seen in most living birds. The taxonomy of this group is confusing; the name "Ornithurae" was first proposed by Ernst Haeckel in 1866 and has been revised in meaning several times since.

The following is a list of primitive euornithian genera and those that cannot be confidently referred to any subgroups, following Holtz (2011).[7]

Note that Holtz also included the genera Eurolimnornis, Holbotia, Palaeocursornis and Piksi as euornitheans, though they have since been re-identified as pterosaurs.[17]

Basal Ornithurae (extinct)

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The subclass that contains all modern birds.

Unresolved and basal forms
These modern birds are known from remains that cannot be placed in relation to any one modern group and are neither autapomorphic enough to assign them to own orders. Especially the Late Cretaceous/early Paleogene taxa are probably basal to several modern orders, while later Paleogene taxa often represent extinct lineages outside the modern families.

  • Australornis lovei Mayr & Scofield 2014 (late early Paleocene)
  • Gallornis straeleni Lambrecht 1931 (Late Cretaceous)
  • Ceramornis major Brodkorb 1963 (Late Cretaceous) – charadriiform?
  • "Presbyornithidae" gen. et sp. indet. (Barun Goyot Late Cretaceous of Udan Sayr, Mongolia) - anseriform (presbyornithid)?
  • Torotix clemensi Brodkorb 1963 (Late Cretaceous) – pelecaniform, charadriiform, procellariiform or phoenicopteriform
  • Neornithes incerta sedis Kurochkin 1995 (Nemegt Late Cretaceous of S Mongolia) - phalacrocoracid?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis AMNH FR 25272 (Lance Creek Late Cretaceous of Converse County, US) - phalacrocoracid?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis PVPH 237 (Portezuelo Late Cretaceous of Sierra de Portezuelo, Argentina) - galliform?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis UCMP 117598 (Hell Creek Late Cretaceous of Bug Creek West, US)
  • Neornithes incerta sedis UCMP 117599 (Hell Creek Late Cretaceous of Bug Creek West, US) – anseriform?
  • "Lonchodytes" pterygius Brodkorb 1963 (Late Cretaceous/?Early Palaeocene) – charadriiform?
  • Novacaesareala hungerfordi Parris & Hope 2002 (Late Cretaceous/Early Palaeocene) – related to Torotix?
  • "Palaeotringa" vetus Marsh 1870 (Lance Late Cretaceous of Wyoming – Hornerstown Late Cretaceous/?Early Palaeocene of New Jersey, US) - gruiform? anseriform (presbyornithid)?
  • Volgavis marina Nessov & Jarkow 1989 (Early Palaeocene of Volgograd, Russia) – charadriiform? phalacrocoraciform?
  • Tshulia litorea Nessov 1988 (Late Paleocene of Zhylga, Kazakhstan)
  • Eupterornis remensis Lemoine 1878 (Paleocene of Cernay, France) – charadriiform (larid?)? gaviiform?
  • Gradiornis walbeckensis Mayr 2007 (Paleocene of Walbeck, Germany) – cariamid?
  • "Messelornis" russelli Mourer-Chauviré 1995 sensu Mayr 2007 (Paleocene of Cernay, France) – messelornithid?
  • Walbeckornis creber Mayr 2007 (Paleocene of Walbeck, Germany) – charadriiform? messelornithid?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis (Late Paleocene/Early Eocene of Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco) – charadriiform, ciconiiform, gruiform?
  • Argillipes Harrison & Walker 1977 (London Clay Early Eocene of England) – galliform?
  • Coturnipes cooperi Harrison & Walker 1977 (Early Eocene of England, and Virginia, US?)– galliform, falconiform?
  • Fluviatilavis antunesi Harrison 1983 (Early Eocene of Silveirinha, Portugal)– charadriiform?
  • Mopsitta tanta Waterhouse et al. 2008 (Early Eocene) – threskiornithid (may belong in Rhynchaeites), psittacid?
  • Neanis schucherti Shufeldt 1913 (Early Eocene)– coraciiform (primobucconid), piciform?
  • Paleophasianus meleagroides Wetmore 1940 (Willwood Early Eocene of Bighorn County, US)– galliform (tetraonine or cracid) or gruiform (aramid)?
  • Precursor parvus (Early Eocene)– several species? psittaciform (pseudasturid or psittacid) + charadriiform (glareolid)?
  • "Precursor" litorum Harrison & Walker 1977
  • "Precursor" magnus Harrison & Walker 1977
  • Procuculus minutus Harrison & Walker 1977 (Early Eocene of Bognor Regis, England)– cuculiform (parvicuculid), coraciiform (primobucconid), close to Primapus?
  • Pulchrapollia Dyke & Cooper 2000 (Early Eocene) – psittaciform (pseudasturid or psittacid)?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis USNM 496384 (Nanjemoy Early Eocene of Virginia, US)– parvicuculid? aegithalornithid?
  • Palaeopsittacus georgei Harrison 1982b (Early – middle Eocene of NW Europe) – caprimulgiform (podargid?) or quercypsittid?
  • Amitabha urbsinterdictensis Gulas-Wroblewski & Wroblewski 2003 (Bridger middle Eocene of Forbidden City, US) - galliform (phasianid) or gruiform (rallid?)?
  • Eociconia sangequanensis Hou 1989 (middle Eocene of China)– ciconiiform (ciconiid)?
  • Protocypselomorphus manfredkelleri Mayr 2005 (middle Eocene of Messel, Germany)– caprimulgiform, apodiform or ancestral to both
  • Pumiliornis tessellatus Mayr 1999 (middle Eocene of Messel, Germany)
  • Ludiortyx hoffmanni (Gervais 1852) Brunet 1970 (Late Eocene) – rallid, quercymegapodid? [Includes Tringa hoffmanni Gervais 1852; Palaeortyx blanchardi Milne-Edwards 1869; Palaeortyx hoffmanni (Gervais 1852); Ludiortyx blanchardi (Milne-Edwards 1869); Eortyx hoffmanni (Gervais 1852)]
  • Minggangia changgouensis Hou 1982 (Late Eocene of China) – rallid, threskiornithid?
  • Petropluvialis simplex Harrison & Walker 1976 (Late Eocene of England)– may be same as Palaeopapia; anseriform?
  • "Phasianus" alfhildae Shufeldt 1915 (Washakie B Late Eocene of Haystack Butte, US)– gruiform, ciconiiform, phoenicopteriform?
  • Telecrex grangeri Wetmore 1934 (Irdin Manha Late Eocene of Chimney Butte, Mongolia)– meleagrid or gruiform (rallid?)
  • Neornithes incerta sedis AMNH FR 2941 (Irdin Manha Late Eocene of Chimney Butte, China) – falconiform (accipitrid)? gruiform (Eogrus)?
  • Zheroia kurochkini Nesov 1988 (Late Eocene of Kazakhstan) – gruiform? pelagornithid?
  • "Falco" falconellus Shufeldt 1915 (or falconella; Eocene of Wyoming, US) – falconiform (falconid)?
  • Agnopterus Milne-Edwards 1868 (Late Eocene– Late Oligocene of Europe)– phoenicopteriform or anseriform
  • Plesiocathartes Gaillard 1908 (Late Eocene–? Early Miocene of SW Europe) - cathartid, leptosomid?
  • Botauroides parvus Shufeldt 1915 (Eocene of Wyoming, US) – coliiform?
  • Aminornis excavatus Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Rio Deseado, Argentina) – gruiform (aramid)?
  • Ciconiopsis antarctica Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Patagonia, Argentina) – ciconiiform (ciconiid)?
  • Climacarthrus incompletus Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina) – falconiform (accipitrid)? A nomen dubium
  • Cruschedula revola Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Golfo San Jorge, Argentina) Aves incertae sedis; A nomen dubium
  • Dolichopterus viator Milne-Edwards 1867 [Dolicopterus Aymard 1856 nomen nudum; Camaskelus Aymard 1856 nomen nudum; Camaskelus Milne-Edwards 1867; Dolicopterus viator Aymard 1856 nomen nudum; Camaskelus palustris Aymard 1856 nomen nudum; Camaskelus palustris Milne-Edwards 1867] (Early Oligocene of Ronzon, France) – charadriiform (charadriid)? Not Dolicopterus as sometimes claimed
  • Loncornis erectus Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Rio Deseado, Argentina)– gruiform (aramid)?
  • Loxornis clivus Ameghino 1894– anatid? (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina)
  • Manu antiquus Marples 1946 (Early Oligocene) – pelagornithid? procellariiform (diomedeid)?
  • Palaeocrex rex Wetmore 1927 (Early Oligocene of Trigonias Quarry, US) – gruiform (rallid)?
  • Palaeopapia eous >(Harrison & Walker 1976) Harrison & Walker 1979 [Howardia Harrison & Walker 1976 non Berlese & Leonardi 1896; Howardia eous Harrison & Walker 1976] (Hampstead Early Oligocene of Isle of Wight, England) – anseriform?
  • Paracygnopterus scotti Harrison & Walker 1979 (Early Oligocene of Belgium and England) – anseriform (anatid)?
  • "Pararallus" hassenkampi Martini 1967 (Sieblos Dysodil Early Oligocene of Sieblos, Germany)
  • Riacama caliginea Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina) – gruiform?
  • Smiliornis penetrans Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina)– gruiform?
  • Teracus littoralis Milne-Edwards 1871 [leracus Aymard 1856 nomen nudum; leracus littoralis Aymard 1856 nomen nudum] (Early Oligocene of France)
  • Teleornis impressus Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina)– anatid?
  • Pseudolarus guaraniticus Ameghino 1899 (Deseado Early Oligocene – Miocene of Argentina) – gruiform?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis BMNH PAL 4989 (Hampstead Early Oligocene of Isle of Wight, England) – formerly "Ptenornis" and included in Headonornis; anseriform?
  • "Anas" creccoides van Beneden 1871 (Early-mid Oligocene of Belgium) – anseriform?
  • "Charadrius" sheppardianus Cope 1881 (Florissant middle Oligocene of Florissant, US) – charadriiform (charadriid?)
  • Megagallinula harundinea Kuročkin 1968 (Indricotherium middle Oligocene of Chelkar-Teniz, Kazakhstan)
  • "Palaeorallus" alienus Kuročkin 1968 (middle Oligocene of Tatal-Gol, Mongolia)– galliform?
  • "Vanellus" selysii van Beneden 1871 (middle Oligocene of Rupelmonde, Belgium) – charadriiform (charadriid)?
  • Anserpica kiliani Mourer-Chauviré, Berthet & Hugueney 2004 (Late Oligocene of France) – gruiform (gruid?) or anseriform (anseranatid?)?
  • Gnotornis Wetmore 1942 (Brule Late Oligocene of Shannon County, US) – gruiform (aramid)?
  • Guguschia nailiae Aslanova & Burčak-Abramovič 1968 (Late Oligocene of Pirəkəşkül, Azerbaijan) – anseriform (anserine)? pelagornithid (same as Caspiodontornis)?
  • Tiliornis senex Ameghino 1899 (Late? Oligocene of Argentina)– phoenicopteriform? A nomen dubium
  • Neornithes incerta sedis QM F40203 (Late Oligocene of Riversleigh, Australia)– gruiform (rallid)?
  • Gaviella pusilla Shufeldt 1915 (Oligocene? of Wyoming, US)– gaviiform? plotopterid?
  • "Anas" skalicensis Bayer 1882 (Early Miocene of "Skalitz", Czech Republic) - anseriform?
  • Chenornis graculoides Portis 1884 (Early Miocene) - Anseriformes (Anatidae) or Pelecaniformes (Phalacrocoracidae)?
  • "Propelargus" olseni Brodkorb 1963 (Hawthorne Early Miocene of Tallahassee, US) – ciconiiform?
  • Neornithes incerta sedis MNHN SA 1259-1263 (Early/Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) – passeriform?
  • Anisolornis excavatus Ameghino 1891 (Santa Cruz Middle Miocene of Karaihen, Argentina) – gruiform, galliform, tinamiform?
  • "Ardea" perplexa Milne-Edwards 1869 (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) – ardeid? strigiform?
  • "Cygnus herrenthalsi" van Beneden 1871 (Middle Miocene of Belgium)
  • "Anas" risgoviensis Ammon 1918 (Late Miocene of Bavaria, Germany) – anseriform?
  • "Ardea" aureliensis (Late Miocene of France) – ardeid?
  • Eoneornis australis Ameghino 1895 nomen dubium (Miocene of Argentina) – anatid? A nomen dubium
  • Eutelornis patagonica Ameghino 1895 (Miocene of Argentina) – anatid?
  • Protibis cnemialis Ameghino 1891 (Miocene of Argentina) – ciconiiform (threskiornithid)?
  • "Limnatornis" paludicola Milne-Edwards 1871 (Miocene of France) – coliid? phoeniculid?
  • "Picus" gaudryi (Miocene of France) – piciform?
  • "Ardea" lignitum Giebel 1860 (Late Pliocene of Germany) – ardeid? strigid (genus Bubo)?
  • Bathoceleus hyphalus Brodkorb 1959 (Pliocene of New Providence, Bahamas) – picid?
  • "Homalopus" Milne-Edwards 1870 non Chevrolat 1837– piciform? Preoccupied by a subgenus of Cryptocephalus leaf beetles described in 1835.
  • "Liptornis hesternus" Ameghino 1894 [Liptornis cuvierii] – pelecaniform (pelecanid)? A nomen dubium
  • Proceriavis martini Harrison & Walker 1979 – pelagornithid?
  • Protopelicanus cuvieri Reichenbach 1852 – pelecaniform (pelecanid)? pelagornithid?
  • Eurofluvioviridavis robustipes Mayr 2005a (middle Eocene of Messel, Germany)
  • Archaeotrogonidae Wetmore 1926basal Cypselomorphae?
  • Cimolopterygidae Brodkorb 1963 – charadriiform?
  • Cladornithidae Wetmore 1930 [Cladornithes Wetmore 1960; Cladornidae Ameghino 1895] (pelecaniform?
  • Eremopezidae Rothschild 1911 – pelecaniform? ratite?
  • Gracilitarsidae Mayr 2001 – close to Sylphornithidae?
  • Halcyornithidae Harrison & Walker 1972 – psittaciform (= Pseudasturidae?), coraciiform?
  • Juncitarsidae Peters 1987
  • Laornithidae Cracraft 1973 – charadriiform? gruiform? pelagornithid?
  • Lonchodytidae Brodkorb 1963
    • Lonchodytes estesi Brodkorb 1963 (Late Cretaceous/?Early Palaeocene) – gaviiform/pelecaniform? procellariiform?
  • Palaeospizidae – passeriform? coraciiform? coliiform?
  • Parvicuculidae Harrison 1982 – cypselomorph, cuculiform, coraciiform (primobucconid)?
  • Remiornithidae Martin 1992 (Paleocene of France) – palaeognath?
  • Sylphornithidae Mourer-Chauviré 1988 – cuculiform? coraciiform? close to Gracilitarsidae?
  • Tytthostonychidae Olson & Parris 1987 – procellariiform, pelecaniform?
  • Zygodactylidae Brodkorb 1971 [Primoscenidae Harrison 1977]– near passerine
  • "Graculavidae" Fürbringer 1888 [Dakotornithidae Erickson 1975; Scaniornithidae; Telmatornithidae Cracraft 1972] – a paraphyletic form taxon, the "transitional shorebirds"

Ostrich and related ratites.

Cassowaries, emus and related ratites.

  • Casuariidae Kaup 1847 [Dromaiidae Huxley 1868; Dramaiinae Gray 1870; Dramiceiidae Richmond 1908; Dramaeidae Newton 1896] (emus and cassowaries)
    • Diogenornis fragilis Alvarenga 1983 (Early Eocene) – possible casuariiform
    • Emuarius Boles 1992 (emuwaries) (Late Oligocene – Late Miocene)
    • Prehistoric species of extant genera

Rheas and related ratites.

Moas.

Two unnamed Saint Bathans Fauna species.[18]

Lithornithiformes Houde 1988

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Dromornis
Genyornis

The group that includes modern ducks and geese.

The group that includes domestic chickens and their relatives.

Gulls, auks, shorebirds

  • Basal and unresolved taxa
    • Charadriiformes gen. et sp. indet. (Late Cretaceous) – burhinid? basal?
    • "Morsoravis" (Late Paleocene/Early Eocene) – a nomen nudum?
    • Jiliniornis (middle Eocene) – charadriid?
    • Boutersema (Early Oligocene) – glareolid?
    • Turnipax (Early Oligocene) – turnicid?
    • Elorius (Early Miocene)
    • "Larus desnoyersii (Early Miocene of SE France) – larid? stercorarid?
    • "Larus pristinus (John Day Early Miocene of Willow Creek, US) – larid?
    • Charadriiformes gen. et spp. indet. (Early/Middle Miocene) – several species, 1 probably larid
    • Charadriiformes gen. et sp. indet. (Middle Miocene)
    • "Totanus" teruelensis (Late Miocene of Los Mansuetos, Spain) – scolopacid? larid?
    • "Actitis" balcanica (Late Pliocene of Varshets, Bulgaria) – scolopacid? charadriid?
  • Scolopacidae – waders and snipes
    • Paractitis (Early Oligocene)
    • Mirolia (Middle Miocene)
    • Placement unresolved
      • Scolopacidae gen. et sp. indet. (Middle – Late Miocene)
      • Scolopacidae gen. et sp. indet. (Early Pliocene)
    • Extant genera present in the fossil record
      • Limosa (Late Eocene? – Recent)
      • Tringa (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene? – Recent) – includes Totanus
      • Gallinago (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene – Recent)
      • Scolopax (Early/Middle Pliocene? – Recent)
      • Phalaropus (Middle Pliocene – Recent)
      • Actitis (Late Pliocene – Recent)
      • Numenius (Late Pleistocene – Recent) – includes Palnumenius
  • Jacanidae – jacanas
  • Laridae – gulls
    • Laridae gen. et sp. indet. (Early Oligocene)
    • Laricola (Late Oligocene/Early Miocene) – larid? Formerly "Larus" elegans and "L." totanoides
    • Gaviota Miller & Sibley 1941 non Fischer 1983 (Middle/Late Miocene)
    • Extant genera present in the fossil record
      • Larus (Middle Miocene – Recent)
  • Alcidae – auks
  • Stercorariidae – skuas and jaegers
  • Glareolidae – pratincoles
    • Paractiornis (Agate Fossil Beds Early Miocene of Sioux County, US)
    • Mioglareola (Early Miocene of Czech Republic) - formerly "Larus" dolnicensis
    • Prehistoric species of extant genera
  • Burhinidae – thick-knees
  • Charadriidae – plovers
    • Limicolavis (John Day Early Miocene of Malheur County, US)
    • Viator (Late Pleistocene of Talara, Peru) – may be synonym of Vanellus (or Belanopteryx if valid)
    • Extant genera present in the fossil record
      • Vanellus (Middle/Late Pleistocene – Recent) – includes Belanopteryx
    • Additional prehistoric species of extant genera
  • Recurvirostridae – avocets

Gastornithiformes (extinct)

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The diatrymas, a group of huge flightless Paleogene birds of unclear affinities. Traditionally placed within the Gruiformes, they are usually considered a distinct order nowadays and appear closer to the Anseriformes.

The group that includes modern rails and cranes. Probably paraphyletic.

Paraphysornis

The diverse group that includes storks, herons and New World vultures. Paraphyletic as listed here.