Heliadornis is a genus of prehistoric seabirds related to modern tropicbirds, but native to temperate climates. They lived in the Miocene. Two species have been recognized. Heliadornis ashbyi is known from remains in Maryland in the United States and Antwerp province in Belgium. The latter were from the BrusselsAntwerp motorway between Berchem and Wilrijk.[1] A second species, Heliadornis paratethydicus has been described from Upper Miocene strata in Vösendorf, Austria.[2]

Heliadornis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Phaethontiformes
Family: Phaethontidae
Genus: Heliadornis
Olson, 1985
Species

2, see text

References

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  1. ^ Olson, Storrs L.; Walker, Cyril A. (1997). "A trans-Atlantic record of the fossil tropicbird Heliadornis ashbyi (Aves: Phaethontidae) from the Miocene of Belgium" (PDF). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 110 (4): 624–28.
  2. ^ Mlíkovský, Jiří (1996). "A new tropicbird (Aves: Phaethontidae) from the late Miocene of Austria" (PDF). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. 98A: 151–54.