#London Clay Formation fossil

[new-dinosaurs]

Ypresicolius sandcoleiformis Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Specimens of Ypresicolius sandcoleiformis [scale bars = 5mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Ypresicolius = Ypresian Colius [genus of mousebirds including the extant speckled mousebird]; sandcoleiformis = sandcoleid-shaped [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Two partial skeletons, together including various limb bones and some vertebrae.

Notes: Ypresicolius was a close relative of extant mousebirds, a group of small, tree-dwelling birds. Mousebirds are nimble climbers with long tail feathers, and feed mostly on fruits and leaves. Today, they are found only in Africa, but their close fossil relatives are known from the Paleogene of Europe and North America.

Like another group of Paleogene proto-mousebirds, the sandcoleids, Ypresicolius had raptor-like talons that it may have used for handling food. (However, this does not mean that these proto-mousebirds primarily ate meat, as sandcoleids lacked hooked beaks and preserved gut contents suggest that they regularly ate fruit.) Despite these and other similarities with sandcoleids, details of the hindlimb and breastbone anatomy of Ypresicolius may indicate that it was slightly more closely related to modern mousebirds.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. A new mousebird (Aves, Coliiformes) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, United Kingdom) constitutes a morphological link between sandcoleids and coliids. Geodiversitas 46: 979–993. doi: 10.5252/geodiversitas2024v46a20

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

ITS ALMOST FOSSIL NOVEMBIRB!!!!!

We're going to have a CELEBRATION of FOSSIL NEORNITHINES for this November!!! The extinct members of the only group of dinosaurs we have today!

Each day will have a prompt inspired by the evolution of crown-birds and the amazing forms they have taken over the past 68 million years!

You can respond to each day's prompt however you wish - with drawing and painting, writing, sculpting, music, videos, whatever! Just tag it "#Fossil Novembirb" for me to find it, and it'll get reblogged!

I'm so excited to see the art you guys create!

NOVEMBER 1 - THE CHOSEN ONES

Crown-Birds (Neornithes) known from the Mesozoic Era!

Options include Asteriornis, Teviornis, Vegavis, and "Styginetta"!

These are the only dinosaurs that survived the asteroid!

Theoretically there were also early Palaeognaths and Neoavians - if you want to do some spec evo and hypothesize what you think they might have looked like, go ahead! Follow your dreams!

NOVEMBER 2 - THE SURVIVORS

The earliest birds known after the K-Pg boundary!

Options include Conflicto, Tsidiiyazhi, Australornis, Qinornis, and Qianshanornis!

Birds diverged rapidly after the extinction, so also feel free to dive into spec evo into some of the forms we don't have fossils of!

NOVEMBER 3 - RACE TO THE SEA

The first Marine Neornithines and how they evolved in the early Paleocene!

Includes tons of early penguins like Waimanu, Kumimanu, Sequiwaimanu, Muriwaimanu, and Kupoupou

Also includes the first Pseudo-toothed bird, Protodontopteryx, and the earliest known Tropicbird, Clymenoptilon!

RISE OF THE PENGUINS!

NOVEMBER 4 - THE MEGAFOWL

Gastornis (aka "Diatryma", aka "Zhongyuanus") appeared in the mid-Paleocene and was a feature of the Cenozoic landscape until the end of the Eocene - so we have a whole day JUST FOR IT

Show your love for the Megafowl Gastornis! This giant herbivorous bird was fascinating, and has captured imaginations for decades because of it!

Gastornis is also present in many of the ecosystems described below, such as Willwood, Green River, and Messel, so we also just wanted to make sure people didn't keep picking Gastornis over and over again xD

NOVEMBER 5 - IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum was the most dramatic incident of rapid global warming in the world since the Permian... until today!

It majorly affected the evolution of many things, possibly including birds!

The Willwood Formation straddles the time period of the warming, and has tons of birds that were evolving during that time period! So, for this day, create things involving birds of the Willwood Formation!

Options include the flighted Palaeognaths Lithornis promiscuus and Lithornis plebius; the possible stem-Ostrich Paragrus, the early half-screamer-half-duck Anachronornis, the early owl Primoptynx, and the fascinating stem-mousebird Sandcoleus! And many more!

NOVEMBER 6 - TROPICAL DENMARK

Birds of the Fur Formation, one of the best collections of bird fossils from the early Eocene!

Includes such friends as Scandiavis (an early shorebird), Septencoracias (an early roller), Pellornis (an early rail-esque thing), the utterly mysterious Morsoravis, and the early swift-hummingbird Eocypselus!

This was a tropical shoreline environment with many of the first members of major bird groups we see today!

NOVEMBER 7 - ANCIENT LONDON TOWN

Across the shore from Fur was the London Clay Formation, a lush tropical forest near the warm shallow ocean

In addition to a truly alarming quantity of plant fossils, this is a notable locality for early birds, featuring many early members of major groups much like the Fur Formation

Options include Dasornis (a pseudotoothed bird), Pulchrapollia (one of the Parrot-Passerines of Prey), Nettapterornis (another stem-duck), Nasidytes (an early loon), Charadriisimilis (an early shorebird), Archaeodromus (a trogon-like member of Strisores), Eotrogon (an actual early Trogon), Lithornis vulturinus (another flighted Palaeognath), Prophaethon (another early Tropicbird), and Ypresiglaux (an early owl) - and so many more!

NOVEMBER 8 - THE RAPTORS ARE BACK

Turns out "Predatory Feathered Thing with Really Sharp Foot Claws" is a very successful niche - not only was there potentially one right after the end of the Cretaceous (Qianshanornis), but other raptors were some of the first birds to succeed around the world in the Eocene

So this day is dedicated to the early raptors of the Cenozoic!

Any "raptor" from the Paleogene is valid - so here are some suggestions: Early Cariamiformes (Seriemas and Kin) like Bathornis, Dynamopterus, Strigogyps, and the first potential Terror Birds like Paleopsilopterus Early Owls like Ypresiglaux and Palaeoglaux Early Accipitriformes like Horusornis Early Falcons like Antarctoboenus, Masillaraptor, and Danielsraptor And of course the ever popular "Parrot-Passerines of Prey" like Tynskya and Messelastur

NOVEMBER 9 - GETTING A GRIP

Half of all living birds are Passeriformes - aka "Perching Birds" - but this wasn't always the case! For most of Earth's history, many other kinds of tree birds were extremely common

Where did this behemoth group of tiny dinosaurs come from? That's the subject of this day's prompt!

In the Eocene, the first birds closer to Passeriformes than to Parrots evolved, and they came in a huge variety of forms! So on Nov 9th, we're going to celebrate this group's interesting beginnings!

Options for this include Parapsittacopes, Eofringillirostrum, Pumiliornis, Psittacopes, Zygodactylus, Primozygodactylus, Psittacomimus, Sororavis, Morsoravis, and Eozygodactylus! Go wild!

NOVEMBER 10 - BAYOU IN THE BADLANDS

Back to specific ecosystems! We're visiting the world-famous Fossil Lake of the Green River Formation!

This environment, during the Early Eocene, was a thriving tropical lake and forest ecosystem filled with tons of early Neornithines as well as mammals and other animals

Gorgeous fossils have come out of this lake, showing truly amazing detail of feathers and other features for these birds!

So here you can feature Prefica (a potential early Oilbird), the flighted Palaeognath Calciavis, the stem-turaco Foro, the early mousebird Celericolius, the possible shore-bird Nahmavis, a potential cuckoo roller Plesiocathartes, the Flamingo-Duck Presbyornis, the early landfowl Gallinuloides, the swift-hummingbird Eocypselus, and the Frigate Bird Trying at being a Gull Limnofregata - and so many more!

NOVEMBER 11 - A NEW DAWN

We're finally moving on to the middle Eocene - and the Messel Lake ecosystem, famous from the first episode of Walking with Beasts (hence the name of the day)!

(If you're going "wait, that episode acts like nothing happened between the K-Pg and Messel, but here you have 10 days worth of stuff" .... yeah. Walking With Beasts skipped the Paleocene and early Eocene and I am... very pissed. Still.)

You know about the tons of early mammals from this tropical lake ecosystem, but it was filled with tons of early birds as well!

There's the early ostrich Palaeotis, the crane-rail Messelornis, the almost-flamingo Juncitarsus, the freshwater Booby Masillastega, the early hoopoe Messelirrisor, Selmes (a mouse bird with stubby toes), the early ibis Rhynchaeites, the early nightbird Hassiavis, the early swift Scaniacypselus, an early roller with known colors Eocoracias, and the early potoo Paraprefica - and many others!

NOVEMBER 12 - PEAK PENGUIN PARTY

As the Eocene continued, penguins achieved true megafaunal status - there were tons of them, they were huge, and they were all over the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere

While penguin diversity never did recover after the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event, this golden age deserves celebration!

Some of these fascinating peak penguins include Palaeeudyptes, Anthropornis, Icadyptes, Inkayacu, Perudyptes, and Kairuku!

NOVEMBER 13 - FRENCH SAVANNAH

As the Eocene began to dry up and cool down, plains grew across the world where the tropical forests once had been

One of the most famous later-Eocene fossil sites for birds is the Quercy Phosphorites location, a French formation with tons of interesting fossil birds!

Here we start to see the early forms of Neornithine Dinosaurs we saw in the Paleocene-Early Eocene diverge and specialize further - often in particularly weird or interesting ways!

So here we have the duck-ish chicken Paraortyx, the secretarybird Pelargopappus, you can also bring back Dynamopterus from earlier, there is the stem-chicken Quercymegapodius as well as stem-parrots like Quercypsitta, the seriema-like Strigogyps, the sandgrouse relative Archaeoganga, Archaeotrogon shows up again, the swift relative Aegialornis, a potential woodpecker relative Sylphornis, and more owls like Palaeoglaux! Lots of cursorial predators in this ecosystem!

NOVEMBER 14 - LOST IN THE WOODS

As the Oligocene dawned, forests did grow back in Europe, though they were now temperate and dry as opposed to the paratropical rainforests of before

This lead to wide diversification of tree-dwelling birds, and so here we will celebrate the birds of the Oligocene of Europe!

We start to really see modern-esque birds at this point, though of course we still have 30 million years of evolution to go!

Here you can feature the early eagle/hawk Aviraptor, the European Hummingbird Eurotrochilus, the seabird relative Rupelornis, the early woodpecker-toucan Rupelramphastoides, the tody Palaeotodus, the proper Passerine Wieslochia, the possible shorebird Turnipax, the mousebird Oligocolius, the hoopoe Laurillardia, and the trogon Primotrogon which we know the colors of!

NOVEMBER 15 - OASIS IN THE DESERT

The Jebel Qatrani Formation of Egypt shows the beginnings of the famous African Grassland animals, as well as many early members of iconic African animal groups such as primates - and, of course, birds!

Taking place in the early Oligocene, this formation was a tropical/subtropical lowland plain filled with ponds and streams and other waterways - aka, tons of swamps surrounded by plains

As such, this place is infested with waterbirds!

Here we have a fossil relative of the Shoebill Goliathia, as well as the jacanas Janipes and Nupharanassa, the giant stork Palaeoephippiorhynchus, the herons Nycticorax and Xenerodiops, and the mystery Palaeognath Eremopezus!

NOVEMBER 16 - AMONG THE GIANTS

Once again we're just fully committing to the Walking With Beasts nostalgia bc these are the birds we wish were in it more okay we said it

Anyways there were some interesting large birds in the plains of the "Land of Giants" episode so picture these guys alongside the Indricothere etc.

In general we're covering the latest Eocene through the Oligocene of Central Asia

Here we have the enigmatic ratites Ergilornis and Sonogrus, the pseudo-toothed bird Caspiodontornis, the owl Heterostrix, and the stem-flamingo Agnopterus

NOVEMBER 17 - IF THE WIND WAS IN OUR WINGS

We all focus on penguins, but over the Cenozoic, plenty of weird birds have evolved for marine life, and boy are they bizarre!

So for Nov 17, we're focusing on the unusual marine birds of the Cenozoic!

This includes any members of the Pelagornithids - aka the Pseudo-toothed birds - as well as the Plotopterids - the Boobies that became Penguins! Pelagornis and Copepteryx are the best known taxa from each, respectively, but there are plenty more!

But that's not all! We have the flightless auks Miomancalla and Mancalla, the large flightless marine duck Chendytes, and who can forget the weird flightless marine swan Annakacygna! Tons of options to choose from!

NOVEMBER 18 - MARCHING IN THE MARSHES

We're now starting our transition from the Paleogene into the Neogene, beginning with the brackish marsh ecosystem preserved at Saint-Gerand-Le-Puy in France!

This Miocene locality preserves a wide variety of birds that are near modern, but not quite - a sort of "uncanny valley" of bird evolution, all set in a somewhat-salty somewhat-not wetland ecosystem

Options for dinosaurs here include Harrisonavis, a transitional flamingo; the early gull/tern Laricola, the enigmatic duck Mionetta, the stork Grallavis, the pratincole Becassius, the swimming-flamingo Palaelodus, the early cormorant Nectornis, the seed-eating pheasant Palaeortyx, the early loon Colymboides, and the mysterious shorebird Elorius!

NOVEMBER 19 - FERN GULLY

Riversleigh is one of the most famous fossil sites in the world, preserving the evolution of the strange and unique animals known today in Australia, during the Oligocene to Miocene transition

Most often, we focus on the bizarre mammals found at Riversleigh, and for good reason - it's a Marsupial Party! - but the birds here are fantastic as well

This ecosystem was a rich rainforest that transitioned over the period of deposition into a semiarid grassland, and covers 20 million years of animal evolution during that transition

Options for birds here include the butcherbird Kurrartapu, the fossil Sittella Daphoenositta trevorworthyi, the Mihirungs ("Demon Ducks") Dromornis and Barawertornis, the Emuwary Emuarius, the early magpie-goose Eoanseranas, the raptor Pengana with flexible ankles, the earliest known species of lyrebird (Menura tyawanoides), the corvid-like Corvitalusoides, the first known cockatoos, the flightless rail-like bird Australlus, the stiff-tailed duck Pinpanetta, the early logrunner Orthonyx kaldowinyeri, and so many more!

NOVEMBER 20 - LAND OF GIANTS

Y'all were probably wondering when we'd get to the Terror Birds and other interesting dinosaurs of South America, so - here we are!

South America, isolated from the rest of the world until the Great American Interchange, featured a wide variety of bizarre and unique animals - not just mammals, but birds and other reptiles as well!

So for Nov 20th, we're looking at the interesting dinosaurs of the "lost continent" during the Miocene epoch, prior to the invasion of North American taxa!

Any Miocene South American Terror Bird (Phorusrachid) is fair game here, so that includes Brontornis, Patagorhacos, Paraphysornis, Devincenzia, Kelenken, Phorusrhacos, Patagornis, Andalgalornis, Psilopterus, Mesembriornis, and Procariama! Note that they did not all live at the same time or even close to each other in location, so do your research on the taxa you pick!

But Terror Birds weren't the only strange dinosaurs in South America at the time! We have the large Teratorn (vulture-like-thing) Argentavis, the *giant* swimming-flamingo Megapaloelodus, the giant Anhinga Macranhinga, the rhea Opisthodactylus, the penguins Palaeospheniscus, Arthrodytes, and Paraptenodytes, the Cathartid Dryornis, the Jacamar Galbula hylochoreutes, fossil Hoatzins like Hoazinavis and Hoazinoides, the giant stork Leptoptilos patagonicus, and the owl Yarquen!

NOVEMBER 21 - FIRST OF THE MANU

Aotearoa has one of the most unique avifaunas in the world today, and I often call it "Mesozoic 2" because of its almost entirely dinosaur-dominated fauna, especially in the past

All great things have to start somewhere or when, and for Aotearoa, that somewhen was after the landmass resurfaced from the ocean for the first time in millions of years - and was quickly inhabited by all kinds of birds and other reptiles (including tuatara) in the Miocene

This ecosystem was a lake bordered by grassy wetland floodplains and subtropical forests, a bit warmer than Aotearoa today

Dinosaurs here include the early Kiwi Proapteryx, an unnamed early Moa, a truly alarming number of waterfowl including shelducks like Miotadorna, stiff-tailed ducks like Manuherikia, and the possible swan Notochen, the small swimming-flamingo Palaelodus aotearoa, pigeons like Rupephaps and Deliaphaps, an early adzebill Aptornis proasciarostratus, flightless rails like Priscaweka, the lake-wanderer Hakawai melvillei, the herons Pikaihao and Matuku, the giant parrot Heracles, proto-keas Nelepsittacus, and the New Zealand Wren Kuiornis. Tons of fun species to choose from!

NOVEMBER 22 - LAND OF CONFUSION

In the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene, the Italian province of Gargano was cut off from the mainland due to rising sea levels, turning it into an island - an island with lots of really strange birds!

This island was cut off from everything else and completely lacked large predators, allowing for a weird variety of animals to evolve and thrive prior to the island rejoining the mainland during the Ice Age

Strange birds of this ecosystem include the extremely old pigeon Columba omnisanctorum, the giant hawk Garganoaetus, the giant flightless goose Garganornis, the giant barn owl Tyto gigantea, the pheasant Palaeortyx volans, and the swift Apus wetmorei!

NOVEMBER 23 - MAKE A BIRD OUT OF YOU

The iconic animals of the Ice Age and recent prehistory had to come from somewhere, and much of this transition is recorded in the Chinese Ecosystem of the Liushu Formation, deposited between 11 and 6.4 million years ago

As grasslands expanded, this ecosystem transitioned from a forest to a wide plains, and many animals adapted for the grasslands accordingly, leading to the appearance of such mammals as Elasmotheriines, Sabercats, Hyenas, Ambelodonts, and a truly alarming quantity of hoofed mammals

Dinosaurs (Birds) adapted to this ecosystem change as well, of course! While most focus on the mammals of Liushu, we're here to showcase the interesting birds that appeared here as well!

Options here include the the very well preserved Falcon Falco hezhengensis, the vultures Mioneophron and Gansugyps, the diurnal owl Miosurnia, the vocally fancy pheasant Panraogallus, the sandgrouse Linxiavis, the Ostrich Struthio (or Orientornis) linxiaensis, and the probable-Ostrich Sinoergilornis

NOVEMBER 24 - ANCIENT SOUTH PACIFIC

Penguins are Bouncing Back! As the Miocene continued and the Pliocene began, many new types of marine birds showed up and were fossilized in locations in Chile (Pisco) and Aotearoa (Tangahoe)

Tons of interesting birds were preserved in this sort of transitional ecosystem, showcasing how birds adapted to changing conditions as the Miocene-Pliocene climatic turmoil continued

These near shore environments are probably more famous for their other animals - things like the giant shark "megalodon", as well as weird whales like Livyatan and Odobenocetops and aquatic giant sloths (like Thalassocnus) and marine crocodilians - but we're here for those dinosaurs!

Options here from the Pisco Formation include the "Toucan-Booby" Ramphastosula, the Cathartid Perugyps, the Booby Sula figueroae, Pelagornithids, Pelicans, and the penguins Spheniscus urbinai and Spheniscus megaramphus, whereas birds from the Tangahoe Formation include the narrow-beaked albatross Aldiomedes, the giant petrel Macronectes, the more regular-sized petrel Procellaria altirostris, the little penguin Eudyptula wilsonae, and the crested penguin Eudyptes atatu!

NOVEMBER 25 - LAST OF A DYING BREED

We all love Megafuana, even though they are usually the "Live Fast Die Young" kind of species - gobbling up resources and growing too big will do that to you

Usually when we hear the term "Megafauna" we think of Mammals and Non-Avian Dinosaurs, but birds have had their share too - and have lost their share as well

So, mainly to cater to the Megafauna Fanbase, here we dedicate a whole day to the giant birds of recent times - Pliocene through Pleistocene - that we have lost to the dramatic climate change of the Ice Age Era. (Those lost in the Holocene will get their own days, see below)

Options for this day include the giant ostrich Pachystruthio, the Mihirung Genyornis, the Terror Bird Titanis, the giant stork Leptoptilos robustus, the giant swan Cygnus falconeri, the giant Anhinga Giganhinga, and of course - we can't forget our friend - the last of the Pseudotoothed Birds, Pelagornis

NOVEMBER 26 - HIGH AS A KITE

In many ways, the real dinosaur winners of the Ice Age were the flying Birds of Prey, as there were many kinds of raptors during the Ice Age and they exploited the new environment expertly

Nothing like being able to traverse huge distances to find places where there are food, amiright?

So this day is dedicated to the fantastic Raptors of the Ice Age, both volant and not!

Here we have some of the last of the Teratorns like Teratornis itself, the Giant Australian Raptor Dynatoaetus, the Australian Vulture Cryptogyps, Woodward's Eagle Buteogallus woodwardi, the tiny Condor Wingegyps, the large Cuban Eagle Gigantohierax, the wandering vulture Neogyps, the Walking Eagle Buteogallus daggetti, the Giant Cuban Stilt-Owl Ornimegalonyx, and one of the last Terror Birds, Psilopterus

NOVEMBER 27 - BEGINNING OF THE END

Oh Holocene Extinctions. As upsetting as they are, they include some of the best known fossil/subfossil birds, so we decided to spend a little extra time on them than they should have based solely on the time length

Here, we highlight the early losses of the Holocene - those dinosaurs that went extinct at the start, largely due to direct human activity such as hunting in addition to the warming caused by the end of the last Ice Age/Glacial Maximum

Days will be dedicated to both Hawai'i (see below) and Aotearoa (again, below), so this is for everyone else!

So options here include the previously mentioned marine duck Chendytes, the giant flightless landfowl Sylviornis from New Caledonia, the famous Elephant Birds of Madagascar, the flightless clubbing-ibis Xenicibis, the weird puffin Fratercula dowi, the giant Bahama Eagle Titanohierax, the Californian Turkey Meleagris californica, and the flightless "Cave Rail" Nesotrochis of the Greater Antilles

NOVEMBER 28 - OLD HAWAI'I

Many, many, MANY unique dinosaurs live on islands. The islands of Hawai'i are no exception, and these islands have lost many unique and fascinating birds over the years - thanks to human activity, invasive cats, colonialism, and climate change

We couldn't possibly ignore them, so for this day, we are hilghlighting these amazing animals found across the archipelago

There are tons of options, but some of our recommendations include the reverse-platypus/Mole Duck Talpanas, the Stilt-Owl Grallistrix, the flightless ibis Apteribis, the Moa-Nalo like Chelychelynechen, Ptaiochen, and Thambetochen, the Wood Harrier Circus dossenus, Hawai'ian Honeycreepers like Drepanis, Aidemedia, Hemignathus, Chloridops, Akialoa, Rhodacanthis, Dysmorodrepanis, Telespiza, and Vangulifer, the Oloma'o and ʻĀmaui thrushes, ʻōʻō's/Hawai'ian Honeyeaters like the Kioea, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, and Oʻahu ʻōʻō, the giant Hawai'i Goose, the nēnē-nui/wood-walking goose, the Robust Crow, the flightless Laysan Rail, and the O'ahu Petrel

NOVEMBER 29 - OLD AOTEAROA

We're finally here: Pre-Human Holocene Aotearoa, aka Mesozoic 2, aka The Land Where Mammals Ain't Shit

I love Aotearoa so much. Why wasn't I born there. The universe isn't fair.

The ecosystems were very similar to today - podocarp forests and southern beech forests, grass and tussock plains and shrublands, and plenty of coastal habitats, all usually temperate in terms of climate

All named Moa are fair game. All of them, all named members of Dinornithiformes. So the North Island Giant Moa, the South Island Giant Moa, the Bush Moa, the Eastern Moa, the Broad-Billed Moa, the Heavy-Footed Moa, Mantell's Moa, the Crested Moa, and the Upload Moa. Follow your Moa-Filled Dreams!

Obviously there were more than Moa - not just the living species of Aotearoa still with us, but tons of other extinct forms for Fossil Novembirb. This includes the Adzebills, Haast's Eagle (of course), the whēkau/Laughing Owl Ninox albifacies, the New Zealand Goose Cnemiornis, the New Zealand Owlet-Nightjar, the mehonui Diaphorapteryx, the Long-Billed Wren Dendroscansor, the piopio Turnagra, and the Huia

NOVEMBER 30 - SIXTH EXTINCTION

And, for our last day, we cover recent Holocene extinctions (not on Hawai'i or Aotearoa) - the birds/dinosaurs we have lost in the living past, due largely to colonialism, capitalism, globalism, and climate change

Any bird extinct since 1492 not previously covered is fair game, and there are a lot of them. Today, we honor them, however we can.

Some suggestions include the Dodo (of course), the Cuban Macaw, the Pink-Headed Duck, the Northern Curlew, the Great Auk, the Passenger Pigeon, the Carolina Parakeet, the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, the Labrador Duck, the Saint Helena Hoopoe, and the Spectacled Cormorant; though there are of course many otherse to choose from as well

Kind of a bummer note to end on, but here we are

Living Birds already get tons of time and attention, so we really don't want to include them here - we love them, but the fossils of the Neornithes world deserve love too! So we tried to cover all of the bases, as best as we could!

Remember, Wikipedia, the Paleobiology Database, The Works of Gerald Mayr, the third volume of "Earth Before Us", and the blogs of myself and @albertonykus and @otussketching are all fantastic resources to look for information about these wonderful animals! Also check out Through Time and Clades' "Dinosaurs: The Second Chapter" series and the Raptormaniacs blog from Albert as well!

HAVE FUN! CREATE WHAT YOU DREAM! AND LOVE CENOZOIC DINOSAURS!

HAPPY FOSSIL NOVEMBIRB!

[otussketching]

Fossil Novembirb: Day 8 - Raptors Are Back

Once the Cenozoic had begun, the only remaining dinosaurs were modern birds. That means raptors (or dromaeosaurs) would never again stalk the Earth, right? Wrong! Raptor dinosaurs get their name from modern raptors: eagles, hawks, owls and the like; and they are in fact some of the closest relatives of birds. So during the Paleogene period when predatory birds started to radiate, they weren't reinventing being a raptor. They continued being raptors.

Palaeoglaux: An early owl from Germany's Messel Lake, about 40 million years ago. Unlike modern owls, it had strange ribbon-like feathers on its body, likely used in display.

Horusornis: A strange relative of hawks and eagles that lived in France 35 million years ago. Like modern harrier-hawks, it had flexible feet to dig out prey from tree cavities.

Antarctoboenus: An early relative of falcons found from Antarctica, about 35 million years ago. It may have prowled near the edges of giant penguin colonies.

Danielsraptor: Another early falcon from the 50 million year old London Clay formation. It had a large jagged beak and long legs, which helped it catch prey on the ground.

Dynamopterus: A relative of Seriemas and terror birds from Messel lake, about 40 million years ago. It likely caught small vertebrates from the forest floor.

Paleopsilopterus: One of the earliest known terror birds, it lived in Brazil about 50 million years ago. It was already flightless and similar to later small terror birds.

Bathornis: A distant relative of terror birds that was remarkably successful. This flightless predator and its relatives lived in North America from the Late Eocene to the Oligocene.

Messelastur: A falcon-like bird of prey that was closely related to parrots and passerines instead of raptors. It lived in Messel Lake about 40 million years ago.

Masillaraptor: A tiny true falcon also known from Messel Lake. It had a relatively long beak from a falcon, and it may have fed mostly on large insects.

Tynskya: Another small raptor related to parrots and passerines, this falcon-like predator lived around 50 million years ago. Its remains have been found in North America and Europe.

[pied-piper-the-survogel]

Fossil Novembirb, the first nine days

Hello World. I never thought I'd be on this site, but here I am. This blog was created for the purpose of participating in a-dinosaur-a-day's Fossil Novembirb. Fossil Novembirb is a yearly art event founded by Meig Dickson, a vertebrate palaeontologist who, as far as I can tell, studies dinosaurs, especially theropods. Don't fight me or em over birds being theropod dinosaurs. Neither ey nor I want to have this conversation, so enjoy the art!

I started off my Fossil Novembirb with Vegavis iaai. What makes this fluffy anseriform special is that we found a fossilised syrinx (avian voice-maker) belonging to one of these, so we can reconstruct their sounds. This Vegavis was coloured based on a bunch of anseriforms that are alive today, like ruddy shelducks and cotton pygmy geese.

For Day 2, I did a bit of spec evo and pulled out a scientific name I told myself I'd assign to a newly-discovered fossil genus. This sketch has a Serina-like text description for Phantasmavis.

Tropicbirds! I chose to draw Clymenoptilon because I was hoping "tropicbird" meant "brightly coloured bird". Even though they aren't that brightly coloured, they're still cool. And Kumimanu (approximately to scale in this drawing) didn't really have the obligation to be black-and-white like most extant penguins (because Inkayacu), so I went... mild-wild with the colours.

No... one's... tall like Gastornis, no one calls like Gastornis! In the bottom right, no one feeds small like Gastornis!

I've seen the "Andy's Prehistoric Adventures" episode featuring these megafowl, realised it was Walking With Dinosaurs with a human inserted, and drawn a mildly speculative colouration for these Gastornis. To the left, two adults have their necks out towards each other and are calling into the sky. Whether this is courtship or a challenge, nobody knows. But a calmer scene happens in the bottom right, where a mother shows her chick red berries on a branch to show them that it is food.

"Don't make me fly up there, you punk!" is one way to interpret the screamerduck Anachronornis' call in the direction of the Primoptynx owl. This scene unfolds in the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum ecosystem of the Willwood Formation before it was rock.

It's a twilight hummingswift! We know the colour of this iridescent little birb from the Danish Fur Formation. I watched a tutorial on painting iridescence, but I'm not really satisfied with the parent feeding their chick to the left of the flying Eocypselus rowei. It's hard to see, but there's a baby hummingswift being fed a Cimbrophlebia scorpionfly.

London Clay has a lot of plant fossils. Not all of them are listed on Wikipedia, but there's a photo of a pencil-root mangrove seed listed. Featuring a speculatively-coloured Eotrogon, a Dasornis carrying away a mackerel, and a Prophaeton just gliding, and repeat telecasts Gastornis parisiensis and Eocypelus rowei, Eocene London was a birder's dream (believe me, I'm a kinda-birder).

This Tynskya art was somewhat late, rather dissatisfactory, and mildly rushed. I had an exam the next day. Don't judge me.

And here's a better Primozygodactylus! I couldn't tell the specific species because it wasn't listed for the Wikipedia image. But here we are: a bird that gives off ashy prinia/sparrow/orange-headed thrush vibes.

This concludes the first nine days! I don't know if I'll be doing the tenth because nobody's giving me straight answers about the palaeobotany of the Green River formation.

Enjoy!

[mylostgems]

British Selenite Healing Crystal - Eocene - Isle of Sheppey, UK - Genuine Specimen with COA

British Selenite Healing Crystal - Eocene Age - Isle of Sheppey, Kent, UK

This is a stunning British Selenite crystal, naturally formed in the Eocene-aged London Clay from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, UK. Selenite is a form of crystallized gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O), known for its striking translucency, soft fibrous structure, and energetic healing properties. This unique British specimen is a rare find and an excellent addition to any mineral collection, metaphysical practice, or geological study.

Geological Information:

Mineral Name: Selenite (Crystallized Gypsum)

Chemical Formula: CaSO₄·2H₂O

Crystal System: Monoclinic

Hardness (Mohs): 2

Lustre: Vitreous to pearly

Color: Transparent to milky white with a fibrous structure

Formation: This British Selenite formed within the London Clay Formation, a fossil-rich deposit dating back to the Eocene epoch (~56 to 33 million years ago). The Isle of Sheppey is known for its marine fossils, and the presence of selenite within these clays is a result of natural mineral precipitation over millions of years.

Metaphysical Properties: Selenite is regarded as a high-vibrational crystal, associated with cleansing, purification, and mental clarity. It is commonly used in Reiki, energy work, and meditation to enhance spiritual awareness and balance the Crown Chakra. Selenite is also believed to have self-cleansing properties, making it an essential crystal for any healing collection.

Key Features:

100% genuine British Selenite crystal

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

Eocene Epoch (~56 to 33 million years old)

Discovered in the London Clay Formation, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, UK

Naturally formed and unpolished, showcasing its unique fibrous structure

Ideal for collectors, geologists, crystal healers, and fossil enthusiasts

A rare and beautiful British mineral specimen

Handling & Care:

Fragile Mineral: Selenite is soft and delicate (Mohs hardness of 2) and should be handled with care to avoid scratches or breakage.

Keep Dry: Selenite is water-soluble and should not be exposed to moisture or soaked in water.

Cleaning Tip: Use a soft, dry cloth to gently remove dust and maintain its natural luster.

Additional Information:

The photos show the actual specimen you will receive, ensuring transparency and authenticity.

Scale Rule Squares / Cube = 1cm; for full sizing, please refer to the images provided.

Expertly packed for safe and secure shipping.

This British Selenite Crystal from the Isle of Sheppey is a fascinating blend of geology, history, and metaphysical energy, making it a perfect specimen for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Buy with confidence, knowing you are receiving a 100% authentic crystal, backed by our Certificate of Authenticity.

🛒 Add this rare Eocene British Selenite Crystal to your collection today!

[myfeeds]

New dinosaur discovered: Ankylosaurs may have been far more diverse than originally thought

Vectipelta barretti was discovered in the Wessex formation on the Isle of Wight and represents the first armoured dinosaur from the dinosaur Isle to be described in 142 years. Lead author Stuart Pond explained the importance of this find, ‘This is an important specimen because it sheds light on ankylosaur diversity within the Wessex formation and Early Cretaceous England. ‘For virtually 142 years, all ankylosaur remains from the Isle of Wight have been assigned to Polacanthus foxii, a famous dinosaur from the island, now all of those finds need to be revisited because we’ve described this new species.’ The new species differs from Polacanthus foxii, previously the only known ankylosaur from the Isle of Wight, in several key characteristics. The fossilized remains show differences in the neck and back vertebrae, a very different structure to the pelvis and more blade-like spiked armour. The researchers used phylogenetic analysis to work out the relationships between different ankylosaurs and discovered that they are not actually very closely related. In fact, Vectipelta was found to be most closely related to some Chinese ankylosaurs, suggesting dinosaurs moved freely from Asia to Europe in the Early Cretaceous. Vectipelta barretti would have been roaming the earth during the Early Cretaceous, a time for which fossil remains are rare worldwide. This has led some to suggest that a mass extinction occurred at the end of the Jurassic, which makes the understanding of dinosaur diversity at this time crucial to understanding if such an event occurred and how life recovered. With rocks from this time mostly absent in North America, the Wessex Formation and the Isle of Wight are hugely important areas in answering these questions. At the time the Isle of Wight would have had a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean and was a flood plain covered by a large meandering river system. Floods would have washed organic material such as plants, logs and even dinosaur bodies together and, as waters receded, this organic matter would have been isolated in ponds on the floodplain that eventually dried out and were buried in the clay soil, preserving this organic material as the fossils we find today. On naming the new dinosaur for Prof Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum, senior author Dr Susannah Maidment said, ‘Myself and some of the other authors on this study have been mentored or supervised by Paul for most of our careers, and it was notable to us that Paul hadn’t had a dinosaur named after him yet. He’s hugely influential in in vertebrate palaeontology, and he’s a world-leading authority on dinosaurs. ‘We really wanted to thank him for his support and mentorship, so we decided to name a, slow-moving, spikey organism after him.’ Prof Paul Barrett has worked at the Natural History Museum, London for 20 years and in that time has published an impressive 220 scientific papers. He has also supervised 31 PhD students and mentored many others, encouraging a whole new generation of palaeontologists. Of the honour Prof Barrett said, ‘I’m flattered and absolutely delighted to have been recognised in this way, not least as the first paper I ever wrote was also on an armoured dinosaur in the NHM collections. I’m sure that any physical resemblance is purely accidental.’ The team are optimistic that more species will be discovered in the area in the future. Dr Maidment concluded, ‘We have new iguanodontians that we are lining up, to be prepped and to be studied. I think we have at least two new taxa in the collections. With regards to ankylosaurs, they are somewhat rarer, so I think we need to keep our eyes peeled.’ The new dinosaur is part of the internationally important collection held at Dinosaur Isle Museum, operated by the Isle of Wight Council. Parts of the dinosaur will be on display at the museum for the school holidays. The bones have been cleaned from their surrounding matrix by staff and volunteers at the museum which has made the research possible.

[mitchbattros]

Tracking Records Of The Oldest Life Forms On Earth

The discovery provides a new characteristic 'biosignature' to track the remains of ancient life preserved in rocks which are significantly altered over billions of years and could help identify life elsewhere in the Solar System.

The research, published in two papers -- one in the Journal of the Geological Society and another in Earth and Planetary Science Letters -- solves the longstanding problem of how scientists can track records of life on Earth in highly metamorphosed rocks more than 3,700 million years old, with organic material often turning into the carbon-based mineral graphite. In the first study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, the team analysed ten rock samples of banded iron formations (BIF) from Canada, India, China, Finland, USA and Greenland spanning over 2,000 million years of history. They argue that carbon preserved in graphite-like crystals -'graphitic carbon'- located alongside minerals such as apatite, which our teeth and bones are made of, and carbonate, are the biosignatures of the oldest life forms on Earth. "Life on Earth is all carbon-based and over time, it decomposes into different substances, such as carbonate, apatite and oil. These become trapped in layers of sedimentary rock and eventually the oil becomes graphite during subsequent metamorphism in the crust," explained Dr Dominic Papineau (UCL Earth Sciences, Center for Planetary Sciences and the London Centre for Nanotechnology). "Our discovery is important as it is hotly debated whether the association of graphite with apatite is indicative of a biological origin of the carbon found in ancient rocks. We now have multiple strands of evidence that these mineral associations are biological in banded iron formations. This has huge implications for how we determine the origin of carbon in samples of extra-terrestrial rocks returned from elsewhere in the Solar System." The team investigated the composition of BIF rocks as they are almost always of Precambrian age (4,600 million years old to 541 million years old) and record information about the oldest environments on Earth. For this, they analysed the composition of rocks ranging from 1,800 million years old to more than 3,800 million years old using a range of methods involving photons, electrons, and ions to characterise the composition of graphite and other minerals of potential biogenic origin. "Previously, it was assumed that finding apatite and graphite together in ancient rocks was a rare occurrence but this study shows that it is commonplace in BIF across a range of rock metamorphic grades," said team member Dr Matthew Dodd (UCL Earth Sciences and the London Centre for Nanotechnology). The apatite and graphite minerals are thought to have two possible origins: mineralised products of decayed biological organic matter, which includes the breakdown of molecules in oil at high temperatures, or formation through non-biological reactions which are relevant to the chemistry of how life arose from non-living matter. By showing evidence for the widespread occurrence of graphitic carbon in apatite and carbonate in BIF along with its carbon-isotope composition, the researchers conclude that the minerals are most consistent with a biological origin from the remains of Earth's oldest life forms. To investigate the extent to which high-temperature metamorphism causes a loss in molecular, elemental and isotope signatures from biological matter in rocks, they analysed the same minerals from a 1,850 million year old BIF rock in Michigan which had metamorphosed in 550 degree Celsius heat. In this second study, published today in Journal of the Geological Society, the team show that several biosignatures are found in the graphitic carbon and the associated apatite, carbonate and clays. They used a variety of high-tech instruments to detect traces of key molecules, elements, and carbon isotopes of graphite and combined this with several microscopy techniques to study tiny objects trapped in rocks which are invisible to the naked eye. Together, all of their observations of the composition are consistent with an origin from decayed biomass, such as that of ancient animal fossils in museums, but which has been strongly altered by high temperatures. "Our new data provide additional lines of evidence that graphite associated with apatite in BIF is most likely biological in origin. Moreover, by taking a range of observations from throughout the geological record, we resolve a long-standing controversy regarding the origin of isotopically light graphitic carbon with apatite in the oldest BIF," said Dr Papineau. "We've shown that biosignatures exist in highly metamorphosed iron formations from Greenland and northeastern Canada which are more than 3,850 million years old and date from the beginning of the sedimentary rock record." The work was kindly funded in part by NASA. Read the full article

[uk-fossils]

Fossil Chimaerid Pallete - Callorhinchus regulbiensis, Woolwich Beds, London Clay Formation, Eocene, Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK - COA

This extraordinary Fossil Chimaerid Pallete comes from the species Callorhinchus regulbiensis, discovered in the Woolwich Beds, part of the London Clay Formation, in Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK. The fossil dates to the Eocene period and is a 100% genuine specimen, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. The Chimaerid Pallete is a rare and valuable specimen that offers a rare glimpse into the ancient marine life of the Eocene period.

Geology and Fossil Type

Geological Stage: Eocene

Depositional Environment: Marine (The Woolwich Beds, part of the London Clay Formation, represent a shallow marine environment during the Eocene, rich in marine life, including species like Callorhinchus regulbiensis)

Family: Chimaeridae (the family of chimaeras or ratfish, which are closely related to sharks and rays)

Superfamily: Chimaeroidea

Order: Chimaeriformes (the order of chimaeras, also known as ghost sharks)

Morphology Features

The Callorhinchus regulbiensis chimaerid pallete shows the characteristic features of the chimaera family, with its flattened structure and distinct tooth arrangement that helped the fish process its food. The fossil is well-preserved, providing clear insights into the tooth structure and the palleted arrangement that would have allowed the fish to crush prey. This type of pallete is typically seen in species that fed on invertebrates, such as mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish.

Biozone

The London Clay Formation biozone is renowned for its marine fossils, which offer insight into the warm seas of the Eocene period. Fossils from this biozone help us understand the diverse marine ecosystems of the time, including the species that roamed the waters, such as the Callorhinchus regulbiensis, which has since become extinct.

Notable Features

This fossil is especially notable for its excellent preservation, which highlights the morphological features of the Callorhinchus regulbiensis chimaera. The tooth structure is clear and well-defined, and the overall condition of the fossil makes it an outstanding specimen for marine life enthusiasts and collectors of Eocene fossils.

Size and Presentation

Scale Rule Squares: 1cm

Full sizing is provided in the photos, so you can see the exact size of the pallete.

Actual Fossil: The fossil pictured is the exact piece you will receive.

Key Selling Points

100% Genuine Fossil

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

A well-preserved chimaerid pallete from Callorhinchus regulbiensis

Clear tooth structure and morphological features

Perfect for collectors and those interested in Eocene marine life

This Callorhinchus regulbiensis Fossil Chimaerid Pallete is a rare and significant fossil from the Eocene period. It offers a glimpse into the marine ecosystems of the past and is a fantastic addition to any collection of prehistoric marine life.

[uk-fossils]

Fossil Tuna Fish Tooth - Cybium proosti, London Clay, Eocene, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, England - Genuine Fossil with COA

This fascinating Fossil Tuna Fish Tooth comes from the species Cybium proosti, discovered in the London Clay Formation at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, England. The fossil dates back to the Eocene period and is a 100% genuine specimen, complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. It is a unique and rare specimen for fossil collectors, providing a detailed look at the teeth of ancient fish species that lived in the seas of the Eocene.

Geology and Fossil Type

Geological Stage: Eocene

Depositional Environment: Marine (The London Clay Formation represents a shallow marine environment during the Eocene, which was home to various fish species, including Cybium proosti, a prehistoric tuna-like fish.)

Family: Scombridae (the family of tunas, mackerels, and bonitos)

Superfamily: Scombroidea

Order: Scombriformes (the order that includes modern-day tunas and other related fish species)

Morphology Features

The Cybium proosti fossil tooth is characterized by its sharp, conical shape, which is typical of predatory fish species. The tooth is well-preserved with visible details that indicate its functional role in capturing and holding onto prey. The fossil shows the characteristic features of tuna teeth, which are designed to handle fast, agile prey.

Biozone

The London Clay Formation biozone is known for its rich diversity of marine life, including fish, sharks, and other marine predators. Fossils from this biozone offer valuable insights into the early evolution of marine ecosystems during the Eocene period.

Notable Features

This fossil is particularly notable for its exceptional preservation and the distinctive shape of the tooth. The sharpness of the tooth and its design reflect the predatory nature of Cybium proosti, an ancient fish that thrived in the warm Eocene seas. The fossil offers a glimpse into the marine food chain during this period.

Size and Presentation

Scale Rule Squares: 1cm

Full sizing is provided in the photos, so you can see the exact size of the tooth.

Actual Fossil: The fossil pictured is the exact piece you will receive.

Key Selling Points

100% Genuine Fossil

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

A well-preserved tuna fish tooth from Cybium proosti

Excellent sharpness and morphological details

Perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of Eocene marine life

This Cybium proosti fossil tuna fish tooth is a fascinating specimen that showcases the ancient marine predators that roamed the Eocene seas. Its well-preserved details and distinctive features make it an outstanding addition to any fossil collection, particularly for those interested in prehistoric fish and marine life.

[uk-fossils]

Fossil Shark Tooth - Odontaspis cuspidata, London Clay Formation, Eocene, Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK - Genuine Fossil with Certificate of Authenticity

This exceptional Fossil Shark Tooth belongs to the species Odontaspis cuspidata, found in the London Clay Formation at Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK. The fossil dates back to the Eocene period and is a 100% genuine specimen, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. This fossil is an excellent example of an ancient marine predator and is perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of prehistoric marine life.

Geology and Fossil Type

Geological Stage: Eocene

Depositional Environment: Marine (The London Clay Formation was a marine environment during the Eocene period, where various shark species, including Odontaspis cuspidata, thrived.)

Family: Odontaspididae (family of sharks, including species like Odontaspis cuspidata)

Superfamily: Lamnoidea

Order: Lamniformes (the order that includes modern sharks like the great white and the extinct megalodon)

Morphology Features

The tooth of Odontaspis cuspidata is characterized by its triangular shape, distinctive serrated edges, and well-defined root. The fossil shows the characteristic features of a shark tooth from the Eocene period, making it a valuable piece for fossil collectors. Its preserved serrations are especially well-detailed, showing the sharp, cutting edges typical of a predator's tooth.

Biozone

The London Clay Formation is part of the Lower Eocene biozone. Fossils from this period provide crucial information about marine life after the extinction event that ended the age of dinosaurs, showing the adaptation and diversification of marine predators like sharks.

Notable Features

This fossil is notable for its preservation and serrations, which are still very visible despite the passage of millions of years. The shape and features of the tooth offer a glimpse into the diet and hunting strategies of Odontaspis cuspidata, an ancient predator that roamed the seas during the Eocene period.

Size and Presentation

Scale Rule Squares: 1cm

Full sizing is provided in the photos, so you can see the exact size of the tooth.

Actual Fossil: The fossil pictured is the exact piece you will receive.

Key Selling Points

100% Genuine Fossil

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

A well-preserved shark tooth from the Odontaspis cuspidata species

Excellent serrations and morphological details

Perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of Eocene marine life

This Odontaspis cuspidata shark tooth is a rare and fascinating fossil from the Eocene period, offering a glimpse into the ancient marine ecosystem. Its preserved details make it an outstanding addition to any fossil collection, particularly for those interested in prehistoric marine life and shark species.

[uk-fossils]

Fossil Shark Tooth - Odontaspis striata, London Clay Formation, Eocene, Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK - Genuine Fossil with COA

This is a remarkable Fossil Shark Tooth from the species Odontaspis striata, discovered in the London Clay Formation at Beltinge, Herne Bay, UK. Dating to the Eocene period, this fossil represents a 100% genuine specimen and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. It is a great addition to any collection, particularly for those with an interest in ancient marine predators.

Geology and Fossil Type

Geological Stage: Eocene

Depositional Environment: Marine (The London Clay Formation represents a warm, shallow marine environment from the Eocene period, where many marine species thrived)

Family: Odontaspididae (the family of sand tiger sharks)

Superfamily: Carcharionoidea

Order: Carcharhiniformes (the order of ground sharks, which includes tiger sharks, hammerheads, and more)

Morphology Features

The tooth of Odontaspis striata is characterized by its triangular shape, serrated edges, and distinctive size. The tooth is well-preserved with clear features, providing excellent details that can be observed under magnification.

Biozone

The London Clay Formation is part of the Lower Eocene biozone, known for its rich deposits of marine life, including various shark species.

Notable Features

This particular tooth is especially notable for its preservation and the serration patterns visible on the edge. It's a perfect specimen for those interested in marine predators of the past, specifically the sharks that roamed the waters during the Eocene.

Size and Presentation

Scale Rule Squares: 1cm

Full sizing is provided in the photos, so you can see the exact size of the tooth.

Actual Fossil: The fossil pictured is the exact piece you will receive.

Key Selling Points

100% Genuine Fossil

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity

A well-preserved shark tooth from Odontaspis striata

Excellent serrations and morphological details

Perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of Eocene marine life

This fossil shark tooth is an excellent specimen for fossil collectors and those interested in the ancient predators that lived during the Eocene. It makes a unique and historically significant addition to any collection.

[new-dinosaurs]

Xenavicula pamelae Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Specimens of Xenavicula pamelae [scale bars = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Xenavicula = strange [in Greek] small bird [in Latin]; pamelae = for Pamela Daniels [the late wife of the collector of the original fossil, Michael Daniels]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Two partial skeletons, together consisting of various limb bones.

Notes: Xenavicula was a small bird, though it is unclear exactly what type of bird it was. In some ways, it resembles psittacopedids, a group of small Eocene birds closely related to passeriforms (songbirds and their kin). Unlike psittacopedids, however, Xenavicula lacked parrot-like zygodactyl feet (in which two toes on each foot point forward and two point back). It also has similarities to members of Picocoraciades, a group of birds that includes hornbills, kingfishers, and woodpeckers.

Xenavicula had a highly unusual shoulder socket distinct from that of any living bird. Its anatomy suggests that it was constrained in its ability to raise its wings above its back, probably limiting its flapping capabilities. This may indicate that it had some form of specialized locomotory behavior, though without more complete remains, it is difficult to determine what behavior this might have been.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. Two distinctive, but difficult-to-classify, avian species and a new trogon (Trogoniformes) from the early Eocene London Clay. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie advance online publication. doi: 10.1127/njgpa/2024/1216

[new-dinosaurs]

Nasiornis messelornithoides Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Specimens of Nasiornis messelornithoides [scale bars = 10 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Nasiornis = nose [in Latin, referencing the type locality Walton-on-the-Naze] bird [in Greek]; messelornithoides = similar to [in Greek] Messelornis [another Paleogene bird that was likely a close relative]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeletons of two individuals, primarily consisting of limb bones. A third, smaller specimen consisting of a partial foot may also belong to this species.

Notes: Nasiornis was a messelornithid, a group of Paleogene birds closely related to extant rails. Messelornithid fossils are extremely abundant at some Eocene-aged fossil sites, such as the Messel Formation of Germany and the Green River Formation of the western United States. Nasiornis differs from other known messelornithids primarily in details of its shoulder bones. The shape of its pygostyle (fused vertebrae at the end of the tail) suggests that it may have had fairly long tail feathers.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. Messelornithids and messelornithid-like birds from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). Geobios advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2023.12.011

[new-dinosaurs]

Fluvioviridavis michaeldanielsi Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Fluvioviridavis michaeldanielsi [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: michaeldanielsi = for Michael Daniels [collector of the original fossil]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual, including parts of the skull and some forelimb bones.

Notes: F. michaeldanielsi was a member of Strisores, a group of birds that includes hummingbirds, swifts, and nightjars, among others. It is unclear which extant strisoreans it was most closely related to, but it most closely resembles frogmouths in terms of its beak shape.

Two other species of Fluvioviridavis are currently recognized: F. platyrhamphus from the Eocene of the western United States, and F. nazensis, another newly named species from the London Clay Formation. F. michaeldanielsi was smaller than F. platyrhamphus and differs from F. nazensis in details of its wing and shoulder bones.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The non-apodiform Strisores (potoos, nightjars and allied birds) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12549-024-00610-9

[new-dinosaurs]

Pristineanis minor Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Type specimen of Pristineanis minor [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Pristineanis = former [in Latin] Neanis; minor = smaller [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including multiple limb bones.

Notes: Pristineanis appears to have been closely related to piciforms, a group of birds that includes woodpeckers and toucans. Unlike in modern piciforms, the outermost toe on each foot of Pristineanis was probably not fully reversed, but could be rotated into a backward-pointing position. Pristineanis also shares similarities with fossil birds closely related to extant rollers and trogons, which are slightly more distant relatives of piciform birds.

In addition to P. minor, two other species of Pristineanis are recognized. One is the larger P. major, another newly-named species from the London Clay Formation. The other is P. kistneri from the Eocene of the western United States, formerly classified in the genus "Neanis" (hence the name Pristineanis).

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

[new-dinosaurs]

Eocypselus geminus Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Eocypselus geminus [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: geminus = twin [in Latin, referring to its similarity to E. vincenti]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeletons of two individuals, representing part of the skull and multiple limb bones.

Notes: E. geminus was a close relative of apodiform birds (the group uniting swifts and hummingbirds). Members of the genus Eocypselus probably looked similar to modern swifts, though they had shorter wings and were better adapted for perching (whereas swifts prefer to cling to vertical surfaces such as cliff faces and tree trunks).

Two species of Eocypselus had previously been named: E. vincenti from England (also from the London Clay Formation) and E. rowei from the United States. Along with the also newly-named E. grandissimus and E. paulomajor, E. geminus suggests that a great diversity of apodiform-like birds lived during the Eocene in what would become the United Kingdom. E. geminus differed from E. vincenti in minor details of the wing bones, from E. rowei in having relatively longer feet, and from E. grandissimus and E. paulomajor in being noticeably smaller.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. New fossils of Eocypselus and Primapus from the British London Clay reveal a high taxonomic and ecological diversity of early Eocene swift-like apodiform birds. Ibis advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ibi.13323