Affinities ofPalaeospiza bellaand the Phylogeny and Biogeography of Mousebirds (Coliiformes)

Palaeospiza bella was described as an oscine songbird in the late 19th century. The late Eocene age of the holotype specimen would make it the oldest Northern Hemisphere record of the Passeriformes. However, few recent workers have accepted the placement of P. bella within Passeriformes, and the higher relationships of this fossil have remained controversial. We show that P. bella is a member of the Coliiformes (mousebirds) and represents the...