A new songbird (Aves: Passeriformes) from the mid-Cenozoic of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland

Abstract

The new genus and species of songbird (Passeriformes) Corvitalusoides grandiculus is described from mid-Cenozoic deposits at Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland on the basis of a distal tibiotarsal fragment. The size of the bone indicates a bird larger than most passerines other than lyrebirds (Menuridae) and some ravens (Corvidae). It cannot be allocated with certainty to any passerine group, so is here regarded as family incertae sedis. This increases the number of named Australian Oligo-Miocene songbirds to four.

Key words:

• Aves
• Passeriformes
• songbird
• Riversleigh
• Cenozoic