Paracathartes

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Palaeognathae
Ordo: †Lithornithiformes

Familia: †Lithornithidae
Genus: †Paracathartes
Species: †P. howardae
Name

Paracathartes Harrison, 1979

Type species: Paracathartes howardae
References
Primary references

Harrison, C.J.O. 1979. A new cathartid vulture from the lower Eocene of Wyoming. Tertiary Research Special Papers 5: 29–39. ISBN 978-90-04-06457-7 Reference page.

Additional references

Houde, P.W. 1988. Paleognathous birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 22: 1–148. ResearchGate Reference page.

Paracathartes is a genus of extinct bird from the Wasachtian horizon of lower Eocene Wyoming. One species, Paracathartes howardae has been described.

It is a paleognathous bird, turkey-like in stature and size, that probably resembled a tinamou quite closely. Unlike other lithornithids but much like its modern relatives it was probably a poor flyer.[2]

Paracathartes was described by Harrison as the earliest known cathartid vulture.[3] Rich criticized this assignment.[4] Houde (1988) included it as a member of the order Lithornithiformes and family Lithornithidae.[5]

The holotype specimen is in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum. It has catalog number ROM 22658. It is the distal end of a left tibiotarsus. It was collected by G. E. Lindblad and G. Sternberg on 4 August 1949. It was found at the northernmost branch of Elk Creek, near Basin, Wyoming. The horizon is Greybullian, middle Wasatchian (early Eocene), Willwood Formation, Bighorn Basin.

Further specimens of Paracathartes were collected, including almost the whole skeleton (USNM 361402-361446, 391984, 404747-404806) from at least five individuals preserved together. These bones were associated with three whole eggs (USNM 336564) and an avian neurocranium (USNM 361415) which may belong to Paracathartes or to a possible phorusrhacid.[3]
Footnotes

Hinton, (1996)
Houde, Peter W. (1988). "Paleognathous Birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere". Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club (Cambridge, MA)
Harrison, C. J. O. (1979)
Rich, P. V. (1983)

Houde, Peter W. (1988)

References
Harrison, C. J. O. (1979). "A new cathartid vulture from the lower Eocene of Wyoming". Tertiary Research Special Papers. 5: 29–39.
Hinton, A. C.; Lang, W. D.; et al. (1996). Edwards, Marcia A. (ed.). Nomenclator Zoologicus. Vol. 9. Regents Park, London: Zoological Society of London. p. 479.
Houde, Peter W. (1988). "Paleognathous Birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere". Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. 22. Cambridge, MA.
Rich, P. V. (1983). "In Vulture biology and management". In Wilbur, S. R.; Jackson, J. A. (eds.). The fossil history of vultures: A world perspective. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. pp. 3–25.