Re: K/T birds

[Tommy Tyrberg <tommy.tyrberg@norrkoping.mail.telia.com>]

>> Laornis (Maastrichtian, USA)
>> Lonchodytes (Maastrichtian, USA)
>> Palaeotringa (Maastrichtian, USA)
>> Telmatornis (Maastrichtian, USA)
>> Torotix (Maastrichtian, USA)
>> Tytthostonyx (Maastrichtian, USA)

>Are they Maastrichtian or Danian (Palaeocene)?


Probably maastrichtian. The fossilferous basal layer of the Hornerstown
formation is _very_ close to the K/T-boundary (probably within 100 KA). It
may even be both. One interpretation is that it is a latest maastrichtian
lag deposit overgrown by earliest Danian organisms. In any case one can
safely say that the birds are Cretaceous since new genera (or species for
that matter)  wouldn't have had time to evolve in <100 KA. There are some
unpublished material from this layer by the way, including a probable
lithornithid. I forgot Anatalavis from this site by the way.

Tommy Tyrberg