Graculavus

Taxobox
name = "Graculavus"
fossil_range = see text
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
subclassis = Neornithes
infraclassis = Neoaves
ordo= Charadriiformes
genus = "Graculavus"
genus_authority = Marsh, 1872
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision ="Graculavus augustus"
"Graculavus" "idahensis" ("nomen nudum")
"Graculavus velox"
and see text
synonyms ="Limnosavis" Shufeldt, 1915

"Graculavus" is a prehistoric bird genus that was described by O. C. Marsh. Its remains were found in the Late Cretaceous Austin Chalk of Texas and Lance Formation (Lancan faunal stage), and the controversial Hornerstown Formation which straddles the Cretaceous-Paleocene boundary. These birds lived on the shores of the northwestern Atlantic and the Western Interior Seaway some 68-66 million years ago.

This genus is the namesake for the form taxon "Graculavidae", a plesiomorphic assembly of unrelated birds that were believed to hold a key position in avian evolution as "transitional shorebirds". Three species are known, of which two have been validly described: "Graculavus augustus" from the Western Interior Seaway and "Graculavus velox" from the Atlantic SeaboardVerify source|date=August 2008.

Whether the bird called "Graculavus" "idahensis" but never properly described is correctly placed in this genus is somewhat disputed. It is supported by a cladistic analysis however, which also agrees with the view that "Graculavus" is a basal member of the Charadriiformes (shorebirds). [Mortimer (2004)]

"Graculavus" lentus" was for some time placed in "Ichthyornis" or "Pedioecetes" after being removed from the present genus. It is not related to either however and is nowadays considered an early galliform or close relative and placed in the genus "Austinornis". [Clarke (2004)]

Footnotes

References

* (2004): Morphology, Phylogenetic Taxonomy, and Systematics of "Ichthyornis" and "Apatornis" (Avialae: Ornithurae). "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History" 286: 1-179 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/454/1/B286.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2004): The Theropod Database: [http://home.comcast.net/~eoraptor/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html Phylogeny of taxa] . Retrieved 2008-AUG-14.