Catalogue of Fossil Birds, Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes)

Abstract

The first installment of a catalogue of the fossil birds of the world covers 49 families in 15 orders of birds, or nearly half of the orders and about one-fourth of the families known. The species treated number 374, of which 273 are extinct, and 101 represent living species recorded from fossil or prehistoric sites. For the paleospecies the data include citation of the original description, synonyms, nature and repository of types, reference to pertinent revisionary papers, and detailed geological and geographic ranges, with bibliographic reference to their occurrence. Major taxonomic changes include recognition of three subclasses, Sauriurae for Archaeopteryx, Odontholcae for the Hesperornithidae, and Ornithurae for the remaining birds. Three infraclasses of Ornithurae are recognized, Dromaeognathae (for the Tinamidae), Ratitae, and Carinatae. Changes in position include transfer of the family Opisthodactylidae to the Rheiformes, Enaliornithidae to the Gaviiformes, and Baptornithidae to the Podicipediformes. On priority the ordinal name Ciconiiformes yields to Ardeiformes. Prior family names adopted include Emeidae for Anomalopterygidae, Oceanitidas for Hydrobatidae, and Plataleidae for Threskiornithidae. New taxa proposed are Colymboidinae (new subfamily, Gavildae), Cayetanornis (new genus, Tinamidae), and Palaeeudyptes marplesi (new species, Spheniscidae). The misprinted name Pelagodornithidae is emended to Plegadornithidae, to conform with the spelling of the type-genus.