Quasisyndactylus

Quasisyndactylus longibrachis

Resurrected on:

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Genus information

Quasisyndactylus is a primitive relative of modern-day kingfishers and bee eaters that lived about 50 million years ago in Europe. It was a small perching bird that could grow up to ca. 14 centimetres in length and had a typical bill for hunting small fish. It probably perched above the water's edge and plunge dived to get its prey. The fact that this species has been found in Europe during this time period, possibly indicates that the family of woodpeckers and bee eaters originate from this continent.

Family:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Alcedinidae

Europe

Eocene

Species information

Quasisyndactylus was apparently a common species found around the Messel lake during the Eocene epoch. There have been found several complete fossils of Quasisyndactylus. Q longibrachus is the only member within its genus.

Species:

Paleontologist:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Quasisyndactylus longibrachis

Mayr, 1998

Europe

Eocene

Length:

Height:

Weight:

14 cm

n/a

30 g

Reference:

Mayr, G. (2004). New specimens of Hassiavis laticauda (Aves: Cypselomorphae) and Quasisyndactylus longibrachis (Aves: Alcediniformes) from the Middle Eocene of Messel, Germany. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 252, 23-28.