Topic
Mousebird
About: Mousebird is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16 publications have been published within this topic receiving 298 citations. The topic is also known as: Coliiformes & Coliidae.
Papers
TL;DR: The monophyly of the Coliiformes (Sandcoleidae + Coliidae) is well corroborated with the recognition of ten osteological synapomorphies and the resemblances that exist between the Recent mousebirds and the “higher” non-passeriform and the passeriform birds respectively, most likely are due to convergence.
Abstract: The monophyly of the Coliiformes (Sandcoleidae + Coliidae) is well corroborated with the recognition of ten osteological synapomorphies. So far, four species of coliiform birds are known from the Middle Eocene of Grube Messel (Hessen, Germany). Members of both the Sandcoleidae and of the Coliidae have been identified.Eoglaucidium pallasFischer 1987, originally assigned to the Strigiformes (owls), is referred to the Sandcoleidae and for the first time complete skeletons of this species are described. A second species of the Sandcoleidae with excellently preserved feather remains, has also been tentatively assigned to the genusEoglaucidium. The monophyly of the four generaEoglaucidium, Sandcoleus, Eobucco andAnneavis is defined.Masillacolius brevidactylus n. g., n. sp. is the earliest record of the Coliidae known so far. It was not possible to assign the fourth species of coliiform bird (which is described elsewhere) to one of the two families with certainty. The resemblances that exist between the Recent mousebirds and the “higher” non-passeriform and the passeriform birds respectively, most likely are due to convergence.
58 citations
TL;DR: Although these 3 orders may have arisen through rapid or near-simultaneous divergence, placement of the "advanced" Passeriformes deep within a more "primitive" radiation indicates that nonpasserines are paraphyletic, echoing the same distinction for reptiles with respect to their advanced descendants.
42 citations
TL;DR: This work has described an excellently preserved new specimen of the Middle Eocene mousebird Selmes absurdipes from the type locality Messel (Hessen, Germany) and first records of this species from the Geiseltal (Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany).
Abstract: Described here are an excellently preserved new specimen of the Middle Eocene mousebird Selmes absurdipes from the type locality Messel (Hessen, Germany) and first records of this species from the Geiseltal (Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany). These specimens allow the recognition of several previously unknown osteological features, and thus more detailed comparisons with other fossil and recent Coliiformes. Selmes absurdipes, which previously has been known only from a single poorly preserved skeleton, most closely resembles the Lower Eocene species Chascacocolius oscitans in its overall morphology. The species shares a derived character with each of the two coliiform families, the extinct Sandcoleidae and the Coliidae, and at present it cannot be assigned to either of these families with certainty.
24 citations
TL;DR: The mousebird remains from the early Pliocene Varswater Formation at Langebaanweg, Cape Province, represent at least one new species, Colius hendeyi, that is closely related to C. colius and C. striatus.
Abstract: Summary Rich, P. V. & Haarhoff, P. J. 1985. Early Pliocene Coliidae (Aves, Coliiformes) from Langebaanweg, South Africa. Ostrich 56: 20–41. Members of the Coliiformes (mousebirds) are osteologically unique, clearly distinct from all other orders of birds. They have a strikingly enlarged and broadened pygostyle, and may represent an ancient group that arose from piciform-coraciiform stock in the early Tertiary. A review of the osteology of the Coliidae indicates that the subgenera Colius (Colius) and C. (Urocolius) warrant generic rank. The mousebird remains from the early Pliocene Varswater Formation at Langebaanweg, Cape Province, represent at least one new species, Colius hendeyi, that is closely related to C. colius and C. striatus.
22 citations
TL;DR: The new fossil shows that late Oligocene European stem group Coliiformes significantly differed from their extant relatives in morphology and probably also in feeding ecology.
Abstract: A new fossil stem group representative of Coliiformes (mousebirds) with a remarkable skull morphology is described from the late Oligocene of Germany. Oligocolius psittacocephalon sp. nov. for the first time preserves the skull of a post-Eocene fossil mousebird. This exhibits a combination of skull features unknown from any other bird and converges on the skull of parrots in that the beak is separated from the cranium by a marked nasofrontal hinge and in that the interorbital part of the frontal bones is very wide. In addition, the mandible of the new species exhibits long retroarticular processes, which are unexpected because unlike in other coliiform birds exhibiting this feature, the short beak was probably not used for probing in substrate. It is hypothesized that the retroarticular processes of O. psittacocephalon instead served for a particular wide and forceful opening of the beak. Eight large fruit stones are situated in the area of the digestive tract of the new species. Preservation of most of these in a well-delimited cluster in the region of the upper oesophagus suggests that, unlike in modern mousebirds, O. psittacocephalon had a crop. The new fossil shows that late Oligocene European stem group Coliiformes significantly differed from their extant relatives in morphology and probably also in feeding ecology.
20 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |