The Paleogene fossil record of birds in Europe

The Paleogene (Paleocene‐Oligocene) fossil record of birds in Europe is reviewed and recent and fossil taxa are placed into a phylogenetic framework, based on published cladistic analyses. The pre‐Oligocene European avifauna is characterized by the complete absence of passeriform birds, which today are the most diverse and abundant avian taxon. Representatives of small non‐passeriform perching birds thus probably had similar ecological niches...