<i>Neanis schucherti</i> Restudied: Another Eocene Piciform Bird

Abstract

Neanis schucherti, an avian fossil from the lower Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, was described in 1913 under the genus Hebe by Shufeldt as the earliest representative of the order Passeriformes. The name Neanis has since been substituted for Hebe for reasons of priority. The specimen is here restudied and is found to be of piciform, not passeriform, affinity. It is assigned to the extinct Eocene family Primobucconidae. Of the two other previously described lower Eocene Piciformes, Primobucco kistneri Feduccia 1973 is reassigned to Neanis, while P. mcgrewi Brodkorb 1970 is retained in Primobucco, which genus is recognized by its larger size.