Two new skeletons of the enigmatic, rail-like avian taxon Songzia Hou, 1990 (Songziidae) from the early Eocene of China

Abstract

MIN WANG, MAYR, G., JIANGYONG ZHANG & Zhonghe Zhou, December 2012. Two new skeletons of the enigmatic, rail-like avian taxon Songzia Hou, 1990 (Songziidae) from the early Eocene of China. Alcheringa 36, 487–499. ISSN 0311-5518. We describe two nearly complete articulated skeletons of a new species of Songziidae Hou, 1990 from the early Eocene of Central China. The specimens provide new anatomical information on this poorly known avian taxon. Songziids were considered most closely related to Rallidae in the original description, but as yet no convincing evidence has been put forth concerning their affinities. Phylogenetic analyses based on two previously published data sets combining data from the new fossils did not provide conclusive evidence concerning the affinities of songziids. Whereas one analysis supported rallid affinities, the other resulted in a clade including Songziidae, Messelornithidae, Rallidae and Heliornithidae. Apart from the proportionally much longer legs, the osteology of Songzia is, however, more similar to that of the contemporary Messelornithidae than to Rallidae.