It was the first fossil bird to be described from the Hawaiian Islands.
The first fossil bird, Archaeopteryx, had a skeleton which looked much like that of a dinosaur.
The area's fossil birds were described in a 1946 study.
What fossil birds contribute towards an understanding of origin and development of the Australian avifauna.
His most significant results he achieved in the research of fossil birds.
The study of Hawaii's fossil birds became a long-term collaborative research program for James and Olson, who were married in 1981.
"Lithornis" is from ancient Greek for "stone bird", as it was one of the first fossil birds to become widely discussed.
He compared the first fossil bird, Archaeopteryx, with Compsognathus.
The first fossil bird, Archaeopteryx, is found in the Upper Jurassic.
The pigments preserved in a 120 million year old fossil bird have been revealed using X-rays.