Masillaraptor
Encyclopedia
Masillaraptor is an extinct genus
of basal falconiform from the Middle Eocene
, a long-legged relative of the living falcons. Classifying the Falconiformes is confusing, since Europe has placed the families into two orders (for more information see the Falconiformes
page).
Parvungus is also Latin, coming from the word parvus which means small and feeble, while ungus means claw.
The name refers to the fact that the specimen's claws are small in comparison to those of other raptors.
Masillaraptor is different from all other known avian taxa. It possesses a combination of characters that distinguishes it from all others.
1. The beak is almost as long as the cranium itself, with equal height over much of its length and a straight dorsal ridge. The beak curves just before its tip, restricting the nasal openings to the rear half of the beak.
2. The tibiotarsus
is the longest bone in the leg.
3. On the second toe the first phalanx is shortened, whereas on the fourth toe the second and third phalanges are shortened.
4. The claws of Masillaraptor are small and weak compared to other falconiform birds with abbreviated pedal phalanges.
Characters (1) and (3) are derived within neornithine birds and also found in modern Accipitres, from which Masillaraptor is, however, distinguished in character (4).(Mayr, 2006.)
–The Messelasturidae (Mayr 2005) (including
Messelastur Peters 1994 and Tynskya Mayr
2000a) in, e.g.: beak proportionally much longer,and with straight culmen, tarsometatarsus proportionally
longer, proximal phalanx of second
toe shortened, middle phalanges of fourth toe
proportionally shorter.
–The raptor-like, long-legged early Eocene Neocathartes
Wetmore 1950 (which actually is a
member of the Cariamae, see Wetmore 1944,
1950; Olson 1985) and all phorusrhacoid birds
in: carpometacarpus with narrower spatium
intermetacarpale and straight os metacarpale
minus, proximal phalanx of second toe shortened.
–The superficially raptor-like early Eocene ForoOlson 1992 in: beak longer, carpometacarpus
with narrower spatium intermetacarpale and straight os metacarpale minus, proximal phalanx of second toe and second and third phalanges of fourth toe shortened.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of basal falconiform from the Middle Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
, a long-legged relative of the living falcons. Classifying the Falconiformes is confusing, since Europe has placed the families into two orders (for more information see the Falconiformes
Falconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
page).
Etymology
Masillaraptor comes from the Latin word masilla, which is the old name for the town of Messel, and a raptor is a bird of prey.Parvungus is also Latin, coming from the word parvus which means small and feeble, while ungus means claw.
The name refers to the fact that the specimen's claws are small in comparison to those of other raptors.
Characteristics
The genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Masillaraptor is different from all other known avian taxa. It possesses a combination of characters that distinguishes it from all others.
1. The beak is almost as long as the cranium itself, with equal height over much of its length and a straight dorsal ridge. The beak curves just before its tip, restricting the nasal openings to the rear half of the beak.
2. The tibiotarsus
Tibiotarsus
The tibiotarsus is the large bone between the femur and the tarsometatarsus in the leg of a bird. It is the fusion of the proximal part of the tarsus with the tibia.A similar structure also occurred in the Mesozoic Heterodontosauridae...
is the longest bone in the leg.
3. On the second toe the first phalanx is shortened, whereas on the fourth toe the second and third phalanges are shortened.
4. The claws of Masillaraptor are small and weak compared to other falconiform birds with abbreviated pedal phalanges.
Characters (1) and (3) are derived within neornithine birds and also found in modern Accipitres, from which Masillaraptor is, however, distinguished in character (4).(Mayr, 2006.)
Differential
The Masillaraptor genus is different from all other genus of known birds, the beak, toe and phalanges are in different proportions along with other parts as well. These have been described by Mayr as follows:–The Messelasturidae (Mayr 2005) (including
Messelastur Peters 1994 and Tynskya Mayr
2000a) in, e.g.: beak proportionally much longer,and with straight culmen, tarsometatarsus proportionally
longer, proximal phalanx of second
toe shortened, middle phalanges of fourth toe
proportionally shorter.
–The raptor-like, long-legged early Eocene Neocathartes
Wetmore 1950 (which actually is a
member of the Cariamae, see Wetmore 1944,
1950; Olson 1985) and all phorusrhacoid birds
in: carpometacarpus with narrower spatium
intermetacarpale and straight os metacarpale
minus, proximal phalanx of second toe shortened.
–The superficially raptor-like early Eocene ForoOlson 1992 in: beak longer, carpometacarpus
with narrower spatium intermetacarpale and straight os metacarpale minus, proximal phalanx of second toe and second and third phalanges of fourth toe shortened.