Masillaraptoridae

Masillaraptorids Temporal range: early-middle Eocene, 54.6–47  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Life restoration of Masillaraptor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	† Masillaraptoridae Mayr, 2009
Genera
† Danielsraptor † Masillaraptor

Masillaraptoridae is an extinct family of stem-group falconiform birds from the Eocene of Europe and the United States. They are noted for their relatively long legs. Two genera have been named: Danielsraptor , from the London Clay of England, and Masillaraptor , from Messel Pit in Germany and Green River Formation of Wyoming, US. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Description

Masillaraptorids have long legs, which may indicate they had a terrestrial lifestyle, foraging on the ground similar to modern caracaras. They have large pygostyles, suggesting they would have likely had long tail feathers. This, in addition to their long ulnae, suggests they were capable of well-developed flight. Their beaks are similar to those of extinct phorusrhacids and extant caracaras. ^[3]

Classification

The cladogram below displays the phylogenetic position of Masillaraptoridae within the Falconiformes: ^[3]

	Chauna torquata (southern screamer) Australaves Falconiformes Caracara plancus (crested caracara) †Masillaraptoridae Masillaraptor parvunguis Danielsraptor phorusrhacoides Cariamiformes † Bathornis spp. † Dynamopterus spp. Cariama cristata (red-legged seriema) † Phorusrhacidae (terror birds) Llallawavis scagliai Psilopterus lemoinei Patagornis marshi

References

1. Mayr, Gerald (January 2006). "A new raptorial bird from the Middle Eocene of Messel, Germany" . Historical Biology. 18 (2): 99–106. Bibcode:2006HBio...18...99M. doi:10.1080/08912960600640762. ISSN   0891-2963. S2CID   34895565.
2. Mayr, Gerald (2009-05-20). "A well-preserved second trogon skeleton (Aves, Trogonidae) from the middle Eocene of Messel, Germany". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 89 (1–2): 1–6. Bibcode:2009PdPe...89....1M. doi:10.1007/s12549-009-0001-9. ISSN   1867-1594. S2CID   73722121.
3. Mayr, Gerald; Kitchener, Andrew C. (2022-07-08). "New fossils from the London Clay show that the Eocene Masillaraptoridae are stem group representatives of falcons (Aves, Falconiformes)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (6) e2083515. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2021.2083515 . ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   250402777.
4. Li, Zhiheng; Musser, Grace; Aase, Arvid; Clarke, Julia (2025-11-24). "A new raptorial bird from the Lower Eocene Green River Formation of North America". Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan. 37 (3): 69–78. doi: 10.7302/27584 .