| Quercypsitta Temporal range:Late Eocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | †Quercypsittidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992 |
| Genus: | †Quercypsitta Mourer-Chauviré, 1992 |
| Species | |
Quercypsitta sudrei | |
Quercypsitta[1] is agenus of prehistoric bird from the LateEocene (circa 37-34Mya)Quercyphosphorites inFrance.
Known from rather fragmentary remains (some foot and wing bones for the typespeciesQ. sudrei, threecoracoids for the speciesQ. ivani), it was described as aparrot sufficiently distinct to be included in its own family, theQuercypsittidae.[2] These birds apparently formed an early offshoot of the parrots which spread to Europe and became extinct in theMiocene at latest. This coincided with a period ofglobal cooling, when their relatives - the ancestors of the African and Asian parrots known today - had in the meantime settled the warmer areas south of the Quercypsittidae's distribution.
The genusPalaeopsittacus is sometimes included in the Quercypsittidae together withQuercypsitta, but it is not certain that the former was indeed a parrot.[3]
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