''Eocoracias'' is an extinct genus of
bird related to modern
roller
Roller may refer to:
Birds
*Roller, a bird of the family Coraciidae
* Roller (pigeon), a domesticated breed or variety of pigeon
Devices
* Roller (agricultural tool), a non-powered tool for flattening ground
* Road roller, a vehicle for compa ...
s and other
Coraciiformes such as
kingfishers,
bee-eaters,
motmot
The motmots or Momotidae are a family of birds in the order coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. All extant motmots are restricted to woodland or forests in the Neotropics, and the largest are in Middle A ...
s, and
todies. It contains one species, ''Eocoracias brachyptera'', and it lived approximately 47 million years ago (
Lutetian stage) based on dating of the fossil site. It is known for a specimen having preserved non-iridescent structural coloration on its feathers, previously unknown in fossil birds. Fossils have been found at the
Messel Pit in Germany.
[Mayr, Gerald, and Cécile Mourer-Chauviré. “Rollers (Aves: Coraciiformes S.s.) from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Upper Eocene of the Quercy (France).” Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2000, pp. 533–546., doi:https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020 533:RACSSF.0.CO;2]
References
Eocene birds
Coraciiformes
Paleogene birds of Europe
Prehistoric bird genera
Fossil taxa described in 2000
{{Paleo-bird-stub