Cyrilavis
Cyrilavis | |
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Skull of C. colburnorum | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Family: | †Halcyornithidae |
Genus: | †Cyrilavis Martin, 2010 |
Type species | |
†Primobucco olsoni (Feduccia & Martin, 1976)
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Cyrilavis is an
Discovery and naming
A complete skeleton of a bird from the Green River Formation was described as "Primobucco" olsoni in 1976 from the speciment GSATC 217 as a relative to the
Description
Cyrilavis was a relatively large-headed bird. The beak is about half of the total length of the head, and is dorsoventrally expanded. The lower half of the beak remains shallow while the top half is comparatively tall. As in all other halcyornithids and in the psittacopasseran Psittacopes, the manus is much shorter than the ulna. This is the opposite of the condition found in extant parrots.[1]
Cyrilavis olsoni, whose holotype preserves feathering, shows a halo of feathers around the head, interpreted as a crest.[1]
Classification
The holotype of Cyrilavis was initially referred to the Primobucconidae, a family of stem puffbirds. Later revisions resulted in the genus' interpretation as a stem parrot. Recent analyses have found that the Halcyornithidae, to which Cyrilavis belongs, diverged before the split between parrots and passerines, meaning it is equally closely related to both orders.[5]
References
- ^ ISSN 0022-3360.
- ^ Feduccia A, Martin LD. 1976. The Eocene zygodactyl birds of North America (Aves: Piciformes). Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 27: 101–110
- ISSN 1096-3642.
- ^ Larry D. MARTIN . PALEOGENE AVIFAUNA OF THE HOLARCTIC [J]. Vertebrata Palasiatica, 2010, 48(4): 367-374.
- ISBN 978-3-030-87644-9.