Pumiliornis tessellatus Mayr, 1999 revisited — new data on the osteology and possible phylogenetic affinities of an enigmatic Middle Eocene bird

摘要

Although the avian speciesPumiliornis tessellatus Mayr, 1999 is known from two skeletons from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany, its phylogenetic affinities remained enigmatic. The new osteological data presented in this study document thatP. tessellatus had an at least semizygodactyl foot, with a very wide basal phalanx of the fourth toe, and lacked an ossified pons supratendineus on the distal tibiotarsus. Compared to the known zygodactyl and semizygodactyl birds, this tiny Middle Eocene species resembles the late Eocene/early Oligocene taxonEocuculus Chandler, 1999. Anew, tentatively referred wing ofEocuculus from the early Oligocene of France is described and compared withPumiliornis.