Messelornis fossil map
Where fossils of Messelornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 56 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 56–48.07 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Messelornithidae |
| Named by | Hesse 1988 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Nanjemoy |
About Messelornis
Messelornis, also known as the Messel rail, is an extinct genus of gruiform bird, closely related to modern rails. It is the most abundant bird from the Messel Lagerstätte, representing roughly half of all Messel bird fossils with more than 500 specimens known. The fossil record of Messelornis ranges from the Paleocene to the middle Eocene. Both the European species, M. cristata, from Messel, and the North American species, M. nearctica, from the Green River Formation lived during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.
Messelornis was a generalized terrestrial bird, with a short beak, long legs, and a long tail. It was probably not an especially adept flier. It was omnivorous and had a diet including seeds, fruits, and fish. The name of the type species, M. cristata, refers to the fact that it was initially interpreted as having a comb-like crest, but the existence of this crest has since been reinterpreted as unrelated plant material. One of its feathers had an iridescent coloration, but no chemical analysis has been done yet.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Messelornis (revision 1351947169), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q6821865.
