| Palaeocursornis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Pterosauria |
| Suborder: | †Pterodactyloidea |
| Infraorder: | †Eupterodactyloidea |
| Superfamily: | †Ornithocheiroidea |
| Clade: | †Azhdarchoidea |
| Genus: | †Palaeocursornis Kessler & Jurcsák, 1986 |
| Species: | †P. corneti |
| Binomial name | |
| †Palaeocursornis corneti (Kessler & Jurcsák, 1984 [originallyLimnornis]) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Palaeocursornis is adubious genus ofavemetatarsalian, probably anazhdarchoidpterosaur.
The only known species,P. corneti, was described in 1984 based on a single bone (MTCO-P 1637) interpreted as thedistal part of a leftfemur, found in EarlyCretaceous (Berriasian rocks (dating to around 143mya) from a mine atCornet nearOradea in northwesternRomania. It was initially assumed to be a flightlesspaleognathebird, possibly aratite, and later as a more primitiveornithuromorph or non-avialan theropod (Bentonet al., 1997). In 2010, the holotype was considered too fragmentary and undiagnostic, so it was reclassified as anomen dubium.[1] Re-evaluation of the specimen suggested that it was not a femur at all, but the upper arm bone (humerus) of apterodactyloidpterosaur with potential affinities toAzhdarchidae.[2] In 2025, Thomas and McDavid suggested thatPalaeocursornis is a dubious genus of tapejaroid.[3]
The animal occurred on what at that time was anarchipelago ofvolcanic andcoral islands towards the east of thePiemont-Liguria Ocean. As the archipelago lay around 35°Nlatitude in a warmer, wetter climate than exists today, it was roughly similar to today'sCaribbean orIndonesia. Thehabitat ofPalaeocursornis was hilly,karstic terrain with numerous freshwater and/orbrackish rivers, lakes and swamps.(Bentonet al., 1997)
Initially, the bones were described asLimnornis corneti (Kessler & Jurcsák, 1984). However, that genus name had already been given to thecurve-billed reedhaunter (L. curvirostris), anovenbird. Moreover, the bones ascribed to the new taxon turned out to be from two different species, possibly not even closely related. Unfortunately, the new name to replaceLimnornis corneti was referring to the material of the other species (which thus becameEurolimnornis corneti), creating considerable confusion since it assigned the samebinomen (corneti) to both species. Subsequent attempts to redescribe the femur asPalaeocursornis biharicus were invalid as far as the binomen is concerned, but at least established a correct genus (Kessler & Jurcsák, 1986). The currently valid name,Palaeocursornis corneti, was first mentioned by Jurcsák & Kessler in 1985, but it was anomen nudum at that time and only became valid the following year, when the current genus was validly established (albeit with an unnecessarily synonymous species name), as mentioned above. This confusing history of synonymy was clarified by Bock & Bühler (1996):
Synonyms
