Heliadornis is a genus of prehistoric seabirds related to modern tropicbirds, but native to temperate climates. They lived in the Miocene. Two species have been recognized. Heliadornis ashbyi is known from remains in Maryland in the United States and Antwerp province in Belgium. The latter were from the Brussels–Antwerp motorway between Berchem and Wilrijk.[1] A second species, Heliadornis paratethydicus has been described from Upper Miocene strata in Vösendorf, Austria.[2]
| Heliadornis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Phaethontiformes |
| Family: | Phaethontidae |
| Genus: | †Heliadornis Olson, 1985 |
| Species | |
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2, see text | |
References edit
- ^ Olson, Storrs L.; Walker, Cyril A. (1997). "A trans-Atlantic record of the fossil tropicbird Heliadornis ashbyi (Aves: Phaethontidae) from the Miocene of Belgium" (PDF). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 110 (4): 624–28.
- ^ Mlíkovský, Jiří (1996). "A new tropicbird (Aves: Phaethontidae) from the late Miocene of Austria" (PDF). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. 98A: 151–54.