Psilopterus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891

Alvarenga, Herculano M. F. & Höfling, Elizabeth, 2003, Systematic Revision Of The Phorusrhacidae (Aves: Ralliformes), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 43 (4), pp. 55-91 : 80

Genus Psilopterus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891

Psilopterus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 (May-August).

Pelecyornis Ameghino, 1891 (December) ; Brodkorb, 1967 (syn. of Psilopterus ).

Staphylornis Mercerat, 1897 ; Brodkorb, 1967 (syn. of Psilopterus ).

Type Species – Psilopterus comunis Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 , designated by Richmond, 1902 (a junior synonym of Psilopterus bachmani Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 ).

Included Species – P. bachmani (Moreno & Mercerat, 1891) , P. lemoinei (Moreno & Mercerat,1891) , P. affinis (Ameghino, 1899) and P. colzecus (Tonni & Tambussi, 1988) .

Diagnos i s Revised – The smallest Psilopterinae . A rather high intercotylar tubercle on the tarsometatarsus, and the lateral edges of the hypotarsus are little or not spread ( Fig. 29B ).

Distribution – Mid-Oligocene to Upper Miocene of Argentina.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Proximal end of the right tarsometatarsus, plantar view, showing the variation of the hipotarsus in the three genera of the Psilopterinae: A - Procariama simplex; B - Psilopterus lemoinei and C - Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis.