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Quercypsittidae
''Quercypsitta'' is a genus of prehistoric bird from the Late Eocene (''circa'' 37-34 mya (unit), Mya) Quercy phosphorites in France. Known from rather fragmentary remains (some foot and wing bones for the type species ''Q. sudrei'', three coracoids for the species ''Q. ivani''), it was described as a parrot sufficiently distinct to be included in its own family, the Quercypsittidae. These birds apparently formed an early offshoot of the parrots which spread to Europe and became extinct in the Miocene at latest. This coincided with a period of global cooling, when their relatives - the ancestors of the African and Asian parrots known today - had in the meantime settled the warmer areas south of the Quercypsittidae's distribution. The genus ''Palaeopsittacus'' is sometimes included in the Quercypsittidae together with ''Quercypsitta,'' but it is not certain that the former was indeed a parrot.Dyke, Gareth J. & Cooper Joanne H. (2000): A new psittaciform bird from the London Clay ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ("true" parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with higher aggregate extinction risk ( IUCN Red List Index) than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia. Characteristic features of parrots include a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum. They form the most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
