Palaeoglaux
Encyclopedia
Palaeoglaux is a genus of fossil owl from the Eocene
epoch. There are two known species, P. perrierensis from the Upper Eocene of Quercy, France and P. artophoron from the Middle Eocene Messel shales, Germany. The holotype of P. perrierensis is a partial left coracoid in the Collection Université Montpellier, accession umber PRR 2585. There are four paratypes; the distal part of a left humerus (PRR2591), the proximal part of a left ulna (PRR 2571), the distal part of a left ulna (PRR 2578) and the distal part of a right tarsometatarsus (PRR 2576). The type specimen of P. artophoron are a fossil slab and counterslab containing most of the postcranial skeleton and some feather impressions. This specimen is in the collection of the Forschunginstitut Senckenberg, accession number SMF-ME 1144 A and B.
The feathers of P. artophoron show some unique characteristics. The feathers on the trunk are about 1 millimetre (0.0393700787401575 in) wide and 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) long. They appear to be membranous and ribbon-like, without barbs This may be an artifact of preservation, but eight nearby primaries show barbs quite clearly. Peters noted that ribbon-like, elongated plumes are known from some living birds, but all are used in display. He writes that display feathers are unexpected in a nocturnal owl, and wonders if this lineage of owls was, in fact, diurnal.
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
epoch. There are two known species, P. perrierensis from the Upper Eocene of Quercy, France and P. artophoron from the Middle Eocene Messel shales, Germany. The holotype of P. perrierensis is a partial left coracoid in the Collection Université Montpellier, accession umber PRR 2585. There are four paratypes; the distal part of a left humerus (PRR2591), the proximal part of a left ulna (PRR 2571), the distal part of a left ulna (PRR 2578) and the distal part of a right tarsometatarsus (PRR 2576). The type specimen of P. artophoron are a fossil slab and counterslab containing most of the postcranial skeleton and some feather impressions. This specimen is in the collection of the Forschunginstitut Senckenberg, accession number SMF-ME 1144 A and B.
The feathers of P. artophoron show some unique characteristics. The feathers on the trunk are about 1 millimetre (0.0393700787401575 in) wide and 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) long. They appear to be membranous and ribbon-like, without barbs This may be an artifact of preservation, but eight nearby primaries show barbs quite clearly. Peters noted that ribbon-like, elongated plumes are known from some living birds, but all are used in display. He writes that display feathers are unexpected in a nocturnal owl, and wonders if this lineage of owls was, in fact, diurnal.