Prophaethontidae

Prophaethontidae is an extinct family of Early Paleogene phaethontiforms that include the genera Lithoptila and Prophaethon, as well as possibly Phaethusavis and Zhylgaia. The anatomy of the prophaethontids were more similar to those of members of the order Procellariiformes than to Phaethontidae, features including nostrils that are long and slit-like, with longer wings and legs. This suggests that prophaethontids were better at swimming and being more pelagic and surface-feeding than tropicbirds are today.[1] Such features were suggested to link the phaethontiforms with the procellariiforms,[2][3] but molecular studies do not support this and instead support a relationship between phaethontiforms and the order Eurypygiformes.[4][5][6]

Prophaethontidae
Temporal range:
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Phaethontiformes
Family: †Prophaethontidae
Harrison & Walker, 1976
Genera

References
  1. Mayr, Gerald (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-89628-9.
  2. Mayr, G (2003). "The phylogenetic affinities of the Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)". Journal für Ornithologie. 144 (2): 157–175. doi:10.1007/bf02465644. S2CID 36046887.
  3. Bourdon, E.; et al. (2005). "Earliest African neornithine bird: A new species of Prophaethontidae (Aves) from the Paleocene of Morocco". J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 25 (1): 157–170. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0157:eanban]2.0.co;2. S2CID 86218884.
  4. Jarvis, Erich D.; et al. (2014). "Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds". Science. 346 (6215): 1320–1331. Bibcode:2014Sci...346.1320J. doi:10.1126/science.1253451. PMC 4405904. PMID 25504713.
  5. Prum, R.O.; et al. (2015). "A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing". Nature. 526 (7574): 569–573. Bibcode:2015Natur.526..569P. doi:10.1038/nature15697. PMID 26444237. S2CID 205246158.
  6. Braun, E.L. & Kimball, R.T. (2021) Data types and the phylogeny of Neoaves. Birds, 2(1), 1-22; https://doi.org/10.3390/birds2010001
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