Messelornithidae

Messelornithidae; Temporal range: Paleocene - Early Oligocene 60–30 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Fossil specimen of Messelornis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	†Messelornithidae
Genera
	Messelornis; Itardiornis; Pellornis

Messelornithidae is an extinct clade of gruiform birds, closely related to modern rails.^[2]^[3] ^[4] The fossil record are from the Paleocene to the early Oligocene of Europe and North America.^[1]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Mourer-Chaviré C. (1995) The Messelornithidae (Aves: Gruiformes) from the Paleogene of France. - Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, 181: 95-105
^ Mayr, Gerald (2004). "Phylogenetic relationships of the early Tertiary Messel rails (Aves, Messelornithidae)". Senckenbergiana Lethaea. 84 (1–2): 317–322. doi:10.1007/BF03043474. ISSN 0037-2110. S2CID 76649548. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
^ Mayr, Gerald (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-89628-9. ISBN 978-3-540-89627-2.
^ Morlo, Michael (2004). "Diet of Messelornis (Aves: Gruiformes), an Eocene bird from Germany". 252: 29–33. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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