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2013

Evolution

Ashfall

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Recently Described Vulture One Of Several New Avian Species From The Ashfall Fossil Beds, Rick E. Otto Feb 2013

Recently Described Vulture One Of Several New Avian Species From The Ashfall Fossil Beds, Rick E. Otto

University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information

Several species of fossil bird are known from the Ashfall Fossil Beds. As of publication date, all represent previously undescribed species. In 2012, ornithologists Zhang, Feduccia and James described a vulture from isolated remains recovered from the Ashfall site in 1979. Similar in morphology to the Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax) of Africa, the relationship to the Ashfall vulture is unclear, and may represent an example of convergent evolution. The fossil vulture was designated Anchigyps voorhiesiin honor of paleontologist Michael Voorhies.