Amitabha urbsinterdictensis Temporal range: Middle Eocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Genus:	†Amitabha Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski, 2002
Species:	†A. urbsinterdictensis
Binomial name
†Amitabha urbsinterdictensis Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski, 2002

Amitabha urbsinterdictensis is an ancient bird from the Middle Eocene (approximately 50 million years before the present) in North America. One specimen has been found to date. Bonnie Gulas-Wroblewski and Anton Wroblewski described and named it in 2002.^[1]

The only known specimen of A. urbsinterdictensis is the type, AMNH 30331, which consists of a partial skeleton, including an incomplete humerus, scapula, sternum, and pelvis.^[2] It is from the Bridger Formation of Wyoming, which is of Middle Eocene age.^[1]

In their 2002 paper, Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski found A. urbsinterdictensis to be a crown-group galliform, and a member of the "phasianoids", the group that also includes such birds as peacocks, pheasants, and turkeys.^[1] Gerald Mayr criticized this analysis.^[2] A 2009 study by Daniel Ksepka found the species to belong neither to the crown nor the stem of the galliformes, but rather to have affinities to the rails.^[3]

Explaining their choice of name, Gulas-Wroblewski and Wroblewski wrote, "urbsinterdictensis refers to the "Forbidden City" locality of Wyoming. Amitabha is for Amitabha Buddha, the bodhisattva of enlightenment and compassion, who commonly adopts the form of a peacock when incarnated in the material world".^[1]

Look up Amitabha in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Gulas-Wroblewski, Bonnie E.; Wroblewski, Anton F.-J. (November 2003). "A crown-group galliform bird from the Middle Eocene Bridger Formation of Wyoming". Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1269–1280. doi:10.1046/j.0031-0239.2003.00340.x.
• Mayr, Gerald (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds. Berlin, Germany: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-89627-2.
• Ksepka, D. T. (2009). "Broken gears in the avian molecular clock: new phylogenetic analyses support stem galliform status for Gallinuloides wyomingensis and rallid affinities for Amitabha urbsinterdictensis". Cladistics. 25: 173–197. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00250.x.

v t e Genera of landfowl and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Superorder: Galloanserae Clade: Pangalliformes
Pangalliformes incertae sedis †Anisolornis? †Archaeophasianus? †Argillipes? †Austinornis? †Chambiortyx †Coturnipes? †"Gigantibis"? †Litoripes? †Percolinus? †Tegulavis? †Gallinuloididae Gallinuloides Paraortygoides †Paraortygidae Paraortyx Pirortyx Scopelortyx Xorazmortyx †Quercymegapodiidae Ameripodius Quercymegapodius Taubacrex †Sylviornithidae Megavitiornis Sylviornis Galliformes See below ↓
Galliformes Galliformes †Amitabha †Bumbanipodius †Bumbanortyx †Linquornis †Namaortyx †Palaeoalectoris †Procrax †Sobniogallus †Taoperdix Megapodiidae †Garrdimalga? †Mwalau †Ngawupodius Alecturini Aepypodius Alectura †Latagallina Leipoa †Progura Talegalla Megapodiini Eulipoa Macrocephalon Megapodius Cracidae †Archaealectrornis †Boreortalis †Palaeonossax †Procrax Penelopinae Aburria Chamaepetes Penelope Penelopina Pipile Cracinae Oreophasis Ortalis Cracini Crax Mitu Nothocrax Pauxi Phasianoidea See below ↓
Phasianoidea Numididae Acryllium Agelastes Guttera Numida †Telecrex Odontophoridae †Miortyx †Nanortyx †Neortyx Ptilopachinae Ptilopachus Odontophorinae Callipepla Colinus Cyrtonyx Dactylortyx Dendrortyx Odontophorus Oreortyx Philortyx Rhynchortyx Phasianidae See below ↓
Phasianidae Phasianidae †Bantamyx †Centuriavis †Diangallus †Eurobambusicola †Lophogallus †Megalocoturnix †Miogallus †Mioryaba †Palaeocryptonyx †Palaeortyx †Panraogallus †Pliogallus †Plioperdix †Rustaviornis †Schaubortyx †Shandongornis †Shanxiornis †Titanoperdix †Tologuica Rollulinae Arborophila Caloperdix Melanoperdix Rhizothera Rollulus Xenoperdix Pavoninae Tropicoperdix Coturnicini Alectoris Ammoperdix Coturnix Margaroperdix †?Ophrysia Perdicula Pternistis Synoicus Tetraogallus Gallini Bambusicola Campocolinus Francolinus Gallus Ortygornis Peliperdix Scleroptila Pavonini Afropavo Argusianus Pavo Rheinardia Polyplectronini Galloperdix Haematortyx Polyplectron Phasianinae †Chauvireria Ithaginis Lerwa Lophophorini Lophophorus Tetraophasis Tragopan Phasianini Catreus Chrysolophus Crossoptilon Lophura Perdix Phasianus Syrmaticus Tetraonini Bonasa Canachites Centrocercus Dendragapus Falcipennis Lagopus Lyrurus Meleagris †Palaealectoris †Proagriocharis Pucrasia †Rhegminornis Tetrao Tetrastes Tympanuchus