Avian History Through the Fossil Record

A special issue of Fossil Studies (ISSN 2813-6284).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 966

Editors


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Guest Editor
División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, La Plata CP B1900FWA, Argentina
Interests: cretaceous and cenozoic birds from Antarctica and South America
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The avian fossil record provides key insights into the origins and early diversification of birds, as well as the anatomical, ecological, and biogeographic changes that have taken place over time. New discoveries from different regions and geological settings, together with renewed studies of previously described fossil material using modern approaches, continue to refine our understanding of the deep history of Aves. We welcome submissions addressing a broad range of topics related to fossil birds and the geological context of avian fossil assemblages. Contributions based on new fossil material are particularly encouraged, as are studies that revisit historical collections using updated analytical tools. Integrative perspectives combining anatomical, phylogenetic, and paleoenvironmental data are also welcome. By bringing together these different approaches, this volume aims to provide an updated overview of current research on fossil birds and to highlight the role of the avian fossil record in documenting the evolutionary history and diversity of birds through time.

Prof. Dr. Caro Acosta Hospitaleche
Dr. Eric Buffetaut
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fossil Studies is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • avian fossil record
  • fossil birds
  • origins of birds
  • avian paleontology
  • avian taphonomy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 2028 KB  
Article
An Exceptional Collection of Early Pleistocene Bustards (Aves: Otididae) and a Review of Fossil Pre-Middle Pleistocene Eurasian Otididae
by Nikita Zelenkov
Foss. Stud. 2026, 4(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/fossils4020015 - 2 Jun 2026
Viewed by 371
Abstract
The family Otididae (bustards) is one of the oldest groups of extant neoavian birds with a very patchy fossil record and almost unknown evolutionary history. This paper describes an exceptional collection of Early Pleistocene (1.8–1.6 Ma) bustards of two taxa from the Taurida [...] Read more.
The family Otididae (bustards) is one of the oldest groups of extant neoavian birds with a very patchy fossil record and almost unknown evolutionary history. This paper describes an exceptional collection of Early Pleistocene (1.8–1.6 Ma) bustards of two taxa from the Taurida cave in Crimea (Eastern Europe), which enables the first detailed morphological characterization of the poorly known large-sized species Otis lambrechti, confirming its validity and osteological distinction from the modern Great Bustard (Otis tarda). A rich sample of the smaller taxon Tetrax kalmani shows this fossil species to be consistently larger than its modern relative, the Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax). A comprehensive critical review of Eurasian fossil Otididae, correcting previous misidentifications, is also provided. The new fossil evidence suggests that the Early Pleistocene bustard fauna of Europe was composed of morphologically distinct taxa, which were later replaced by their modern counterparts around the Middle Pleistocene, probably as a result of the mid-Pleistocene climate transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Avian History Through the Fossil Record)
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