Prophaethon
{{Short description|Extinct genus of birds}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Prophaethon
| fossil_range = Early Eocene, {{fossil range|56|49}}
| genus = Prophaethon
| parent_authority =
| species = shrubsolei
| authority = Andrews, 1899
}}
Prophaethon is an extinct genus of seabird that lived during the Early Eocene (Ypresian, c.56-49 mya). As indicated by its generic name, it is a distant relative of the tropicbirds.
Distribution
The type species, P. shrubsolei, is essentially known from a holotype specimen consisting of fairly comprehensive fossil remains of a single individual, namely a skull and some limb bones, which were recovered from the London Clay on the Isle of Sheppey, England.{{Cite journal |last1=Andrews |first1=Chas. W. |year=1899 |title=On the Remains of a new Bird from the London Clay of Sheppey |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/70018 |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=67 |issue=3 |pages=776–785 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1899.tb06889.x |hdl=2027/njp.32101055916900}} Since its initial description, more remains of P. shrubsolei were described by Gerald Mayr, having been found at Walton-on-the-Naze, also in the London Clay.{{Cite journal |last=Mayr |first=Gerald |date=January 2015 |editor-last=Voelker |editor-first=Gary |title=New remains of the Eocene Prophaethon and the early evolution of tropicbirds (Phaethontiformes) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ibi.12214 |journal=Ibis |language=en |volume=157 |issue=1 |pages=54–67 |doi=10.1111/ibi.12214 |issn=0019-1019 |access-date=4 March 2025 |via=Wiley Online Library|url-access=subscription }} A second species, P. waltonensis, has also been described from fossil remains hailing from Walton-on-the-Naze.{{Cite journal |last=Mayr |first=Gerald |last2=Kitchener |first2=Andrew C. |date=29 October 2024 |title=A new species of the Prophaethontidae (Aves, Phaethontiformes) from the early Eocene London Clay |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2024.2418895 |journal=Historical Biology |language=en |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2024.2418895 |issn=0891-2963 |access-date=4 March 2025 |via=Taylor and Francis Online|doi-access=free }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Eurypygimorphae|E.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q18608891|from2=Q7250253}}
Category:Extinct birds of Europe
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