Catalogue of Fossil Birds: Part 2 (Anseriformes through Galliformes)

Abstract

The second installment of the Catalogue of Fossil Birds treats 13 families comprising the orders Anseriformes, Accipitriformes, and Galliformes. The species included in this section number 474, of which 262 are paleospecies and 212 neospecies. Seven paleospecies are added to those included in groups covered in Part 1. The two parts now published thus cover 856 species, of which 542 are extinct and 314 living, being about two-thirds of the known fossil birds.

Modifications from the general plan adopted in the first installment are few. Common names for the higher taxa of living birds are provided in the Table of Contents. The synonymies of order-group and family-group names have been expanded to include all principal synonyms based on generic names, insofar as found. Subfamily headings have been included in the lists of neospecies.

Several generally recognized families are reduced to the subfamily level, namely: Paranyrocinae (to Anatidae), Teratornithinae (to Vulturidae), Gallinuloidinae (to Cracidae), and Tetraonitiae and Meleagrinae (to Phasianidae).

Two new subfamily terms are proposed. Leptodontinae supplants Peminae, as Leptodon is the type genus of this section of the Accipitridae. The new subfamily Filholornithinae is erected in the Cracidae for Filholornis Milne-Edwards, formerly of Incertae Sedis.

Genera described as new are Ludiortyx and Pirortyx in the Gallinuloidinae, and Schaubortyx and Proalector in the Phasianinae.