Miratuaridae

Miratuaridae is a proposed family of extinct birds. The taxonomic status and validity of this family are debated within the scientific community. Its existence is based on limited fossil evidence, primarily fragmentary remains that exhibit a mosaic of features. These features are interpreted by some paleontologists as distinct enough to warrant familial classification.

The fossils attributed to Miratuaridae have been found in deposits dating to the Late Cretaceous period. They suggest that these birds inhabited terrestrial or possibly semi-aquatic environments. Analysis of the skeletal elements, where preserved, indicates potential adaptations for locomotion and diet that differ from other known bird groups from the same era.

However, the scarcity and poor preservation of the fossils pose significant challenges to a definitive classification. Critics argue that the observed characteristics might represent variations within existing avian families or are insufficient to establish a new one. Further discoveries of more complete specimens are needed to resolve the taxonomic ambiguity surrounding Miratuaridae and to better understand its evolutionary position. Until then, its placement within the avian tree of life remains uncertain.