| Miosurnia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | †Miosurnia Li, Stidham, & Zhou,2022 |
| Species: | †M. diurna |
| Binomial name | |
| †Miosurnia diurna Li, Stidham, & Zhou, 2022 | |
Miosurnia (meaning "MioceneSurnia") is an extinct genus ofsurniin bird from theLate MioceneLiushu Formation ofGansu Province,China. The genus contains a single species,Miosurnia diurna, known from a nearly complete, articulated skeleton.[1]
TheMiosurniaholotype specimen,STM 20-1, was discovered in a layer of the Liushu Formation in theLinxia Basin of Gansu Province, China. The specimen isarticulated and nearly complete, lacking only the rightforelimb and leftmanualdigits.[1]
In 2022, Liet al. published a paper analyzing the evolution ofdiurnalism inowls beginning in the late Miocene, anddescribedMiosurnia diurna, a new genus and species ofstrigid. Thegeneric name, "Miosurnia", references the Miocene age of the holotype specimen as well as the close relation of the genus toSurnia. Thespecific name, "diurna", refers to the diurnalism inferred for the animal.[1]
The describing authors concluded thatMiosurnia would have had a body size comparable to theextant strigidaenSurnia ulula(Northern hawk-owl), with an estimated body length (rostrum topubis) of 30 centimetres (12 in) and body mass of about 236–318 grams (0.520–0.701 lb).[1]
In their phylogenetic analyses, Liet al. (2022) recoveredMiosurnia as a member of the Surniini andsister taxon toSurnia +Glaucidium. All members of this clade are diurnal.[1]
Genera ofowls and their extinct allies | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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