A new Pliocene woodpecker, with comments on the fossil Picidae. American Museum novitates ; no. 2400

Abstract

"A new genus and species of woodpecker, Palaeonerpes shorti, is described from a left tibiotarsus from Lower Pliocene sediments of Nebraska. Palaeonerpes is morphologically distinct from all genera with which it was compared, and no clear evidence is present to assign Palaeonerpes to any genus of Recent woodpecker. General comments on the systematic status of the known fossil picids are presented. Palaeopicus has several features which suggest that it probably should be excluded from the Picidae. Uintornis is not a woodpecker, as Shufeldt (1915) correctly surmised. Pliopicus is a morphologically distinct genus that does not appear related to any genus of North American woodpeckers"--P. 7.