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Quercymegapodius depereti, Q. brodkorbi

By Scott Reid on @drawingwithdinosaurs

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Name: Quercymegapodius depereti, Q. brodkorbi

Status: Extinct

First Described: 1908

Described By: Gaillard

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Pangalliformes, Quercymegapodiidae

Quercymegapodius, the original Quercymegapodid, is also the earliest known of the birds from this group, living about 37 million years ago, in the Priabonian age of the Eocene of the Paleogene, and known from the Quercy Fissure Formation of France. Being the earliest, it thus showcases the distinct characteristics of the Quercymegapodids, namely the slender wing fingers that perhaps indicates a reduction in the wing muscles farther away from the body. This reduction would have made the feathers of the wing less suitable for flight and display, a major change also seen in chickens on the whole, indicating that in the Quercymegapodids we see the beginnings of this change. However, this is potentially an independent evolution thereof. It, like other members of the total-chicken group, was probably a ground forager.

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Source:

Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.