Idiornithidae is an extinct family of
Cariamiformes. Fossils of these birds were found mainly in the phosphorus layers of Quercy in south-western France. Other specimens have been found throughout Germany as well.
Description
The Idiornithidae were medium-sized birds with slender, long legs. Several postcranial bones of the genera ''Gypsornis'' and ''Idiornis'' have been found, with the only species leaving behind an articulated skeleton with the skull intact.The limited fossil evidence suggested that Idiornithidae much resembled
seriemas
The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae, which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been placed near the falcons, parrots and passer ...
. They were, however, smaller, some of them the size of the average pheasant. Until recently, idiornithids were commonly regarded as a suborder of the Gruiformes, but they are now classified as Cariamiformes.
References
* Gerald Mayr
Paleogene Fossil Birds Springer, 2009,
Prehistoric bird families
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