"Precursor" is a controversial prehistoric birdgenus from the Early Eocene.[1][2] It was established based on fossils found in England, including in the famous London Clay deposits. Three species are included in the genus: "P." parvus, the type species, "P." magnus, and "P." litorum, all named by Colin Harrison and Cyril Walker in 1977.[1][3]
These remains were originally considered to be members of the Charadriiformes, more specifically the earliest representatives of the Glareolidae (pratincoles and coursers).[1] However, several authors have since found this interpretation to be dubious,[2][4] with the lack of measurements and contradictory wording making the original description's conclusions difficult to verify.[5] At least some of the material, namely the paratype humerus of "P." parvus, has been re-interpreted as belonging to the Pseudasturidae (or Halcyornithidae), a group of stem-parrots, the remains of which (including a complete skeleton) were found in the Green River Formation in the United States.[6][7]
References
^ abcHarrison, C. J. O.; Walker, C. A. (1977). "Birds of the British Lower Eocene". Tertiary Research, Special Paper. 3: 1–52.
^ abMlikovsky, J. (1996). "Tertiary avian faunas of Europe"(PDF). Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica. 39: 777–818. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
^Steadman, D.W. (1981). "Review: Birds of the British Lower Eocene by C. J. O. Harrison, C. A. Walker". The Auk. 98 (1): 205–207. JSTOR4085636.
^Mayr, G. (2002). "On the osteology and phylogenetic affinities of the Pseudasturidae – Lower Eocene stem-group representatives of parrots (Aves, Psittaciformes)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 136 (4): 715–729. CiteSeerX10.1.1.729.6773. doi:10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00042.x.
^Ksepka, D.T.; Clarke, J.A.; Grande, L. (2011). "Stem Parrots (Aves, Halcyornithidae) from the Green River Formation and a Combined Phylogeny of Pan-Psittaciformes". Journal of Paleontology. 85 (5): 835–852. Bibcode:2011JPal...85..835K. doi:10.1666/10-108.1. S2CID86618579.
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