Mopsitta

• Denmark

Mopsitta tanta is a fossil species which is likely attributable to the parrots. They lived about 54 million years in Denmark. The bird stands today authentics parrots ( Psittacidae ) closer than any other Psittaciformes found so far in the Paleogene and is perhaps the oldest known parrot from the crown group of the Psittaciformes.

Mopsitta tanta was the size of a crow and is the largest parrot fossil found so far. It also has the most northerly location, the Danish island of Mors. At the time of the Eocene there were in northern Europe a warmer climate. Since the parrot fossils ever found in the Southern Hemisphere have a maximum age of 15 million years ago, the discovery suggests that the parrots have developed in the northern hemisphere. The Fund consists of only one wing bones.

Researchers awarded the nature nicknamed Danish Blue on the basis of the sketch The parrot is dead Comedians group Monty Python.

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