Messelornithidae is an extinct clade of gruiform birds, closely related to modern rails.[3][4][5] The fossil record are from the Paleocene to the early Oligocene of Europe and North America.[2]
| Messelornithidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil specimen of Messelornis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | †Messelornithidae |
| Genera | |
References edit
- ^ "†family Messelornithidae (bird)". Fossilworks.
- ^ a b Mourer-Chaviré C. (1995). "The Messelornithidae (Aves: Gruiformes) from the Paleogene of France". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 181: 95–105.
- ^ Mayr, Gerald (2004). "Phylogenetic relationships of the early Tertiary Messel rails (Aves, Messelornithidae)". Senckenbergiana Lethaea. 84 (1–2): 317–322. doi:10.1007/BF03043474. ISSN 0037-2110. S2CID 76649548. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ Mayr, Gerald (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-89628-9. ISBN 978-3-540-89627-2.
- ^ Morlo, Michael (2004). "Diet of Messelornis (Aves: Gruiformes), an Eocene bird from Germany". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 252: 29–33.
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