''Eocoracias'' is an extinct genus of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

related to modern

roller Roller may refer to: Birds *Roller, a bird of the family Coraciidae * Roller (pigeon), a domesticated breed or variety of pigeon Devices * Roller (agricultural tool), a non-powered tool for flattening ground * Road roller, a vehicle for compa ...

s and other

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

such as kingfishers, bee-eaters,

motmot The motmots or Momotidae are a family of birds in the order coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. All extant motmots are restricted to woodland or forests in the Neotropics, and the largest are in Middle A ...

s, and

todies The todies are a family, Todidae, of tiny Caribbean birds in the order Coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. The family has one living genus, ''Todus'', and one genus known from the fossil record, '' Palaeoto ...

. It contains one species, ''Eocoracias brachyptera'', and it lived approximately 47 million years ago (

Lutetian The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Midd ...

stage) based on dating of the fossil site. It is known for a specimen having preserved non-iridescent structural coloration on its feathers, previously unknown in fossil birds. Fossils have been found at the Messel Pit in Germany.Mayr, Gerald, and Cécile Mourer-Chauviré. “Rollers (Aves: Coraciiformes S.s.) from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Upper Eocene of the Quercy (France).” Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2000, pp. 533–546., doi:https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020 533:RACSSF.0.CO;2

References

Eocene birds Coraciiformes Paleogene birds of Europe Prehistoric bird genera Fossil taxa described in 2000 {{Paleo-bird-stub