We report the wing bones of a small passeriform bird from the early Oligocene of France, which are among the earliest fossil remains of Passeriformes in Europe. The specimen is clearly distinguished from oscines, to which all extant European passeriforms belong, and closely resembles suboscine passerines in presumably derived features. If future, more complete specimens support its assignment to the suboscines, it would be the earliest fossil record of this passeriform taxon. Together with other fossils from the early Oligocene of Germany, it indicates that nonoscine passerines colonized Europe before the arrival of oscines.
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1 August 2006
A SMALL SUBOSCINE-LIKE PASSERIFORM BIRD FROM THE EARLY OLIGOCENE OF FRANCE
Gerald Mayr,
Albrecht Manegold
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The Condor
Vol. 108 • No. 3
August 2006
Vol. 108 • No. 3
August 2006
early Oligocene
fossil birds
Passeriformes
suboscines