Preface

1. A 52-Million-Year-Old Community Exquisitely Preserved Through Time
Fossil Lake within the larger context of the Green River Formation
Reconstructing the past geological history, climate, and ecosystem
Preservation of Fossil Lake birds
Scientific benefits of large-scale collecting efforts and sample size
Current extent of the Fossil Lake deposits
Other significant Paleogene bird localities mentioned in this book

2. Bird Bones, and Using the Present to Interpret the Past
Skeletal anatomy of the chicken
Anatomy and the study of bird evolution

3. Categorizing Modern Birds into Groups That Reflect Hypothetical Relationships
Methodological philosophies, symbols, and nomenclature
The evolutionary classification of modern birds (Neornithes)
Birds known from Fossil Lake sediments

4. Palaeognathae
†Lithornithiformes (extinct relatives of ratites and tinamous)

5. Galloanseres
Galliformes (landfowl)
Anseriformes (waterfowl)
†Gastornithiformes (extinct flightless galloanserine order)

6. Mirandornithes
Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos)

7. Columbaves
Musophagiformes (turacos)—Opisthocomiformes (hoatzins)

8. Cursorimorphae
Gruiformes (cranes, rails, and allies)
Possible Charadriiformes (shorebirds and allies)

9. Strisores
Apodiformes (swifts and allies)
Possible Podargiformes (frogmouths)
Steatornithiformes (oilbirds)

10. Phaethontimorphae
Possible Eurypygiformes (sunbitterns)

11. Aequornithes
Pelecaniformes (ibises, herons, pelicans, and allies)
Suliformes (frigatebirds, gannets, and allies)
Aequornithes, undetermined order

12. Afroaves
Coliiformes (mousebirds)
Leptosomiformes (courols)
Bucerotiformes (hoopoes, hornbills, and allies)
Coraciiformes (rollers and allies)
Piciformes (woodpeckers, toucans, and allies)
Afroaves, undetermined order

13. Australaves
Falconiformes (falcons)
Psittacopasseres (parrots and passerines)
Pan-Passeriformes (Passeriformes sensu lato) (perching birds and songbirds)

14. Taphonomy: Death and Preservation in the Fossil Record
Causes of death
Color variation in fossils due to the chemistry of the sediments
Articulation versus disarticulation in skeletal preservation
Gut contents (possible food items)
Predators of Fossil Lake birds
Feather and soft tissue preservation

15. Fossil Lake and the Evolution of Modern Birds
Where it all began: Mesozoic bird faunas of the world
The diversification of birds after the K-Pg global extinction event
Paleogene bird faunas of the world, and Fossil Lake’s place with them

Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgments
List of Institutional Abbreviations
References
Taxonomic Index
Subject Index