Palaeocursornis

Palaeocursornis is a monotypic genus of prehistoric bird. The species P. corneti, described in 1984, was initially assumed to be a flightless paleognathe, possibly a ratite, but it may actually be more primitive and not even a neornithine but an ornithuromorph bird or indeed not a bird at all (Benton et al., 1997). The distal part of a left femur (MTCO-P 1637) is the only material known to date. It was found in Early Cretaceous (Berriasian, around 143 mya) rocks in a mine at Cornet near Oradea in northwestern Romania.

The animal occurred on what at that time was an archipelago of volcanic and coral islands towards the east of the Piemont-Liguria Ocean. As the archipelago lay around 35°N latitude in a warmer, wetter climate than exists today, it was roughly similar to today's Caribbean or Indonesia. The habitat of Palaeocursornis was hilly, karstic terrain with numerous freshwater and/or brackish rivers, lakes and swamps.(Benton et al., 1997)

Taxonomy

Initially, the bones were described as Limnornis corneti (Kessler & Jurcsák, 1984). However, that genus name had already been given to an ovenbird genus, the reedhaunters. Moreover, the bones ascribed to the new taxon turned out to be from two different species, possibly not even closely related. Unfortunately, the new name to replace Limnornis corneti was referring to the material of the other species (which thus became Eurolimnornis corneti), creating considerable confusion since it assigned the same binomen (corneti) to both species. Subsequent attempts to redescribe the femur as Palaeocursonis biharicus were invalid as far as the binomen is concerned, but at least established a correct genus (Kessler & Jurcsák, 1986). The currently valid name, Palaeocursonis corneti, was first mentioned by Jurcsák & Kessler in 1985, but it was a nomen nudum at that time and only became valid the following year, when the current genus was validly established (albeit with an unnecessarily synonymous species name), as mentioned above. This confusing history of synonymy was clarified by Bock & Bühler (1996):

Synonyms

• Limnornis corneti Kessler & Jurcsák 1984
• "Palaeocursonis corneti" Kessler & Jurcsák 1985 (nomen nudum)
• "Palaeocursonis biharicus" Kessler & Jurcsák 1985 (nomen nudum)
• Palaeocursonis biharicus Kessler & Jurcsák 1986

References

• Benton, M. J.; Cook, E.; Grigorescu, D., Popa, E. & Tallódi, E. (1997): Dinosaurs and other tetrapods in an Early Cretaceous bauxite-filled fissure, northwestern Romania. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 130: 275-292. PDF fulltext

• Bock, Walter J. & Bühler, Paul (1996): Nomenclature of Cretaceous birds from Romania. Cretaceous Research 17: 509–514. PDF fulltext

• Jurcsák, T. & Kessler, E. (1985): La palèofaune de Cornet - implications phylogénétiques et écologiques. Evolution et Adaptation 2: 137-147.

• Kessler, E. & Jurcsák, T. (1984): Fossil bird remains in the bauxite from Cornet (Romania, Bihor County). Travaux du Musée d'Histoire Naturelle Grigore Antipa 25: 393–401.

• Kessler, E. & Jurcsák, T. (1986): New contributions to the knowledge of the Lower Cretaceous bird remains from Cornet (Romania). Travaux du Musée d'Histoire Naturelle Grigore Antipa 28: 289–295.

• http://www.dinosauria.com/dml/genera.htm

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