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Bird remains from the Maastrichtian type area (Late Cretaceous)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2016

G.J. Dyke ,
A.S. Schulp  and
J.W.M. Jagt
G.J. Dyke*
Affiliation:
School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
A.S. Schulp
Affiliation:
Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 6–7, NL-6211KJ Maastricht, the Netherlands
J.W.M. Jagt
Affiliation:
Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 6–7, NL-6211KJ Maastricht, the Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. Email:gareth.dyke@ucd.ie
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Abstract

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Remains of Late Cretaceous birds are rare, which is especially true for Europe and the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage (southeast Netherlands, northeast Belgium) in particular. In the present paper, we record new remains (isolated tarsometatarsus and radius) that document the presence of both enantiornithine and ornithurine birds in the Maastrichtian area. These fossils, although fragmentary, are important in view of their stratigraphic age: all bird remains discovered to date in the Maastricht area are amongst the youngest ’non-modern’ avians known, originating from strata deposited less than 500,000 years prior to the end of the Cretaceous Period.

Keywords

AvesEnantiornithesOrnithuraeMaastrichtianLate Cretaceousthe NetherlandsBelgium
Type
Geo (Im) pulse
Information
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences , Volume 87 , Issue 4 , December 2008 , pp. 353 - 358
Copyright
Copyright © Stichting Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 2008

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