| Fossil range | Middle Eocene, |
|---|---|
| Parent authority | Mayr, 1998 |
| Taxon | Messelirrisor |
| Authority | Mayr, 1998 |
| Type species | Messelirrisor halcyrostris |
| Type species authority | Mayr, 1998 |
| Subdivision ranks | Other species |
| Subdivision |
|
The extinct Messelirrisor is a genus of Bucerotiformes, the sole representative of the family Messelirrisoridae. They were tiny hoopoe-like birds that were the earliest representatives of the hoopoe/wood-hoopoe lineage, and they were among the predominant small forest birds of Central Europe during the Middle Eocene (some 49-37 mya). Fossilized remains of Messelirrisor have been found in the Messel Pit of Hesse, Germany.
Sources
- Mayr, Gerald (1 October 2000). "Tiny Hoopoe-Like Birds From the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany)". The Auk. 117 (4): 964–970. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2000)117[0964:THLBFT2.0.CO;2]. JSTOR 4089635
External links
- Specimen photo. Retrieved 2007-AUG-22.
