A new raptorial bird from the Middle Eocene of Messel, Germany

Abstract

Raptorial birds ("Falconiformes") are very rare in the Middle Eocene fossil site Messel in Germany. In this study, a new taxon, Masillaraptor parvunguis gen. et sp. nov., is described that, as indicated by its long legs, appears to have been a fairly terrestrial bird, with rather weak claws and a beak without a strongly hooked tip. Phylogenetic assignment of M. parvunguis is, however, aggravated by the uncertainty concerning monophyly of, and relationships within, extant "Falconiformes". Therefore, three different published phylogenies of the extant taxa are used as "backbone" phylogenies to determine the relationships of the new taxon by minimising the amount of homoplasy in the phylogenetically informative characters visible in the two known specimens. Abbreviation of the middle phalanges of the fourth toe suggests that M. parvunguis is more closely related to a clade including Sagittariidae (secretary bird) and Accipitridae (hawks) than to the Cathartidae (New World vultures). As in Accipitridae and Falconidae, the first phalanx of the second toe is further shortened, but the exact position of M. parvunguis is dependent on the still controversial relationships between the extant taxa.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Pelecaniformes (Aves) Based on Osteological Data: Implications for Waterbird Phylogeny and Fossil Calibration Studies

“…This is largely consistent with the fossil record of Sulidae, which includes possible stem members such as Eostega lebedinskyi , from the middle Eocene of Romania [52], [121], Masillastega rectirostris , from the middle Eocene of Messel, Germany [51] (though see also Mlíkovsky [52], who refers this species to Eostega ), and Sula ronzoni from the early Oligocene of France [36]. However, the relationships of these taxa remain to be tested in a rigorous modern phylogenetic analysis.…”

A falconid from the Late Miocene of northwestern China yields further evidence of transition in Late Neogene steppe communities

“…More complete material, including multiple skeletons, is known for the Eocene taxon Masillaraptor, but its affinities have been considered uncertain because of homoplasy observed among traditional parts of ''Falconiformes'' (Mayr 2006(Mayr , 2009a(Mayr , 2009b. For instance, Masillaraptor shares a more abbreviated first phalanx of the second digit with Accipitridae, but a well-developed zygomatic process with Falconidae (Mayr 2006(Mayr , 2009a.…”

“…More complete material, including multiple skeletons, is known for the Eocene taxon Masillaraptor, but its affinities have been considered uncertain because of homoplasy observed among traditional parts of ''Falconiformes'' (Mayr 2006(Mayr , 2009a(Mayr , 2009b. For instance, Masillaraptor shares a more abbreviated first phalanx of the second digit with Accipitridae, but a well-developed zygomatic process with Falconidae (Mayr 2006(Mayr , 2009a. Accipitridae has not been supported as closely related to Falconidae in recent analyses of molecular data; the latter is recovered in a clade including parrots, songbirds, and seriemas (Hackett et al 2008, McCormack et al 2013, Yuri et al 2013.…”

A new Old World vulture (Falconiformes: Accipitridae) from the Miocene of Gansu Province, northwest China

“…There is an obvious large pneumatic foramen on the anconal surface of the proximal humerus. Both the bicipital crest and the deltoid crest are less expanded and proportionally short, measuring about 1/5 and 1/4 of the humerus, respectively, whereas in extant birds of prey, the deltoid crest is nearly 1/3 of the humerus (Mayr 2006). The distal end of the humerus is expanded and less angular.…”