A new specimen of the fossil palaeognath Lithornis from the Lower Eocene of Denmark. American Museum novitates ; no. 3491

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dc.contributor.authorLeonard, Leona M.
dc.contributor.authorDyke, Gareth J.
dc.contributor.authorTuinen, Marcel van
dc.date.accessioned2005-12-16T17:55:08Z
dc.date.available2005-12-16T17:55:08Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description11 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.en
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 9-11).en
dc.description.abstractPalaeognathous birds (Aves, Palaeognathae) are uncontroversially the most basal clade among modern birds (Neornithes), having been defined for more than 100 years on the basis of their palatal morphology. However, because many fossil specimens that have been described to date lack detailed skull material (especially in association with postcrania), aspects of the early evolutionary history of these birds remain unclear, and their relationships on the basis of anatomical characters are as yet unresolved. In this paper we present a new and exceptionally well-preserved specimen of the Lower Eocene fossil palaeognath Lithornis that has a remarkable three-dimensionally preserved and complete skull. New anatomical information provided by this Danish fossil leads us to suggest that a number of cranial characters previously considered diagnostic for ratites may in fact be primitive among palaeognaths. The presence of members of Lithornithidae in the Lower Eocene (earliest Tertiary) is consistent with the hypothesis that basal divergences within Palaeognathae occurred at an earlier geological time, perhaps prior to the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary, as has been proposed based on evidence from much less well-preserved fossil material.en
dc.format.extent391977 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2246/5660
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherNew York, NY : American Museum of Natural Historyen
dc.relation.ispartofseriesAmerican Museum novitates ; no. 3491en
dc.subject.lccQL1 .A436 no.3491, 2005en
dc.subject.lcshLithornis vulturinus.en
dc.subject.lcshBirds, Fossil -- Denmark.en
dc.subject.lcshPaleontology -- Eocene -- Denmark.en
dc.subject.lcshPaleontology -- Denmark.en
dc.subject.lcshRatites -- Phylogeny.en
dc.titleA new specimen of the fossil palaeognath Lithornis from the Lower Eocene of Denmark. American Museum novitates ; no. 3491en
dc.title.alternativeLithornis from Lower Eoceneen
dc.typetexten

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