Avian feet, crocodilian food and the diversity of larger birds in the early Eocene of Messel

The lower Eocene lacustrine sediments of the Messel fossil site in Germany yielded a very rich and diversified avifauna. Most of the well-preserved skeletons stem from small-sized birds, whereas complete specimens of larger avian species are rare. There exist, however, a number of isolated feet of larger birds, eight of which are described in the present study. Except for one, all of these specimens exhibit broken leg bones with missing ends,...