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Messelornithidae
Messel Rails
1
Number of resurrected species:
Family
Order
Class
Messelornithidae
Eurypygiformes
Aves
Description
The Messel Rails are a small family of extinct birds that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene of Europe and North America. They were small in size and probably hunted near the water's edge for insects and fish. They had long legs and fairly large eyes, which indicates that they probably hunted in the evening and at night.
Distribution & Fossil evidence
Fossils of the Messel Rails have been found in Europe and North America and some of them, like from Messelornis, have been found in exquisite state! In one of the fossils, a fish has been found within its mouth!
Species
Just a few genera have been assigned to the Messelornithidae family.
Included genera
Messelornis
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