Prophaethon

Prophaethon Temporal range: Early Eocene, 56–49 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Phaethontiformes
Family:	†Prophaethontidae
Genus:	†Prophaethon
Species:	†P. shrubsolei
Binomial name
†Prophaethon shrubsolei Andrews, 1899

Prophaethon is an extinct genus of seabird that lived during the Early Eocene (Ypresian, c.56-49 mya). As indicated by its generic name, it is a distant relative of the tropicbirds.

Distribution

The type species, P. shrubsolei, is essentially known from a holotype specimen consisting of fairly comprehensive fossil remains of a single individual, namely a skull and some limb bones, which were recovered from the London Clay on the Isle of Sheppey, England.^[1] Since its initial description, more remains of P. shrubsolei were described by Gerald Mayr, having been found at Walton-on-the-Naze, also in the London Clay.^[2] A second species, P. waltonensis, has also been described from fossil remains hailing from Walton-on-the-Naze.^[3]

References

1. Andrews, Chas. W. (1899). "On the Remains of a new Bird from the London Clay of Sheppey". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 67 (3): 776–785. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1899.tb06889.x. hdl:2027/njp.32101055916900.
2. Mayr, Gerald (January 2015). Voelker, Gary (ed.). "New remains of the Eocene Prophaethon and the early evolution of tropicbirds (Phaethontiformes)". Ibis. 157 (1): 54–67. doi:10.1111/ibi.12214. ISSN 0019-1019. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via Wiley Online Library.
3. Mayr, Gerald; Kitchener, Andrew C. (29 October 2024). "A new species of the Prophaethontidae (Aves, Phaethontiformes) from the early Eocene London Clay". Historical Biology: 1–8. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2418895. ISSN 0891-2963. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.