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

Abstract

<i>Neanis schucherti</i>, an avian fossil from the lower Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, was described in 1913 under the genus <i>Hebe</i> by Shufeldt as the earliest representative of the order Passeriformes. The name <i>Neanis</i> has since been substituted for <i>Hebe </i>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, <i>Primobucco kistneri</i> Feduccia 1973 is reassigned to <i>Neanis</i>, while <i>P. mcgrewi</i> Brodkorb 1970 is retained in <i>Primobucco</i>, which genus is recognized by its larger size.