What is the approximate age difference between the earliest *family* and *genus* ancestors?
Answer
6 million years
The age difference between the earliest known family member and the earliest known genus member represents a significant evolutionary gap. The *Archaeocorvus* fossil, representing the family (Corvidae), is dated to 25 million years ago. The *Pica praepica* fossil, representing the genus (*Pica*), is dated to 19 million years ago. Subtracting the genus age from the family age (25 - 19) results in a difference of 6 million years. This interval indicates how long it took for the specific lineage leading to modern magpies to become distinguishable within the fossil record after the general corvid family was established.
Related Questions
What species is the oldest known fossil belonging to the magpie family Corvidae?Where were fossils of *Archaeocorvus meadewaldenis* (AMRI) unearthed?How old are the fossils identified as *Pica praepica* from New Zealand?To which geological epoch does the 25-million-year-old *Archaeocorvus meadewaldenis* date?What is the genus classification for modern magpies like the Eurasian Magpie?What is the approximate age difference between the earliest *family* and *genus* ancestors?Which region yielded fossils clearly identifying the direct ancestral line of the *Pica* genus?What enduring characteristic allowed the lineage of modern magpies to persist across vast timescales?What cognitive trait's foundations were likely established in *Pica praepica* 19 million years ago?What specific field mark helps differentiate modern North American *Pica* species like Black-billed and Yellow-billed?