Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subclass Modern birds | Infraclass Neognathae Rank Species | |
Genus Amitabha
Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski, 2002 Scientific name Amitabha urbsinterdictensis Similar Gallinuloides, Modern birds, Palaeortyx, Cyrtonyx, Leipoa | ||
Amitabha urbsinterdictensis is an ancient bird from the Middle Eocene (approximately 50 million years before the present) in North America. One specimen has been found to date. Bonnie Gulas-Wroblewski and Anton Wroblewski described and named it in 2002.
Contents
Specimens
The only known specimen of A. urbsinterdictensis is the type, AMNH 30331, which consists of a partial skeleton, including an incomplete humerus, scapula, sternum, and pelvis. It is from the Bridger Formation of Wyoming, which is of Middle Eocene age.
Relationships
In their 2002 paper, Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski found A. urbsinterdictensis to be a crown-group galliform, and a member of the "phasianoids", the group that also includes such birds as peacocks, pheasants, and turkeys. Gerald Mayr criticized this analysis. A 2009 study by Daniel Ksepka found the species to belong neither to the crown nor the stem of the galliformes, but rather to have affinities to the rails.
Name
Explaining their choice of name, Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski wrote, "urbsinterdictensis refers to the "Forbidden City" locality of Wyoming. Amitabha is for Amitabha Buddha, the bodhisattva of enlightenment and compassion, who commonly adopts the form of a peacock when incarnated in the material world".