Archaeopsittacus

{{Short description|Extinct genus of birds}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Archaeopsittacus

| fossil_range = Late Oligocene/Early Miocene

| display_parents = 2

| genus = Archaeopsittacus

| parent_authority = Lambrecht, 1933

| species = verreauxi

| authority = (A. Milne-Edwards, 1870)

| synonyms =

• Psittacus verreauxii (lapsus)
  {{Taxobox_authority | author = A. Milne-Edwards | date = 1870}}

}}

Archaeopsittacus is a genus of prehistoric parrot. It is known from deposits of either Late Oligocene or Early Miocene age (c. 23 mya) at Verreaux near Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, France. A single species, Archaeopsittacus verreauxi,

Etymology: "Ancient parrot from Verreaux". Archaeopsittacus, Latinized Ancient Greek, from archaios (αρχαίος) "ancient" + psittakos (ψιττακός) "parrot". Chosen by Milne-Edwards to denote the similarities to the modern genus Psittacus. verreauxi, Latin for "from Verreaux".

is known.Waterhouse, 2006

The genus was apparently close to the Old World lineages of parrots and might conceivably be assigned to the modern superfamily Psittacoidea. Its lack of apomorphies prevents any better placement until more material is found.Mayr & Göhlich 2004