Baptornis
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Extinct (fossil)
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| Baptornis advenus Marsh, 1877 |
Baptornis ('diving bird') is an extinct genus of primitive bird.
The 1 m (3 ft 4 in) long creature had lost the ability to fly, possessing only vestigal wings. Its legs were powerful and had long toes which were probably lobe-finned as in grebes or possibly webbed as in ducks, allowing the creature to swim. Baptornis had teeth in its beak which allowed it to grab fish and other slippery prey. Its neck was unusually long, allowing a further reach. While it was probably an excellent swimmer, Baptornis is thought to have been clumsy on land, pushing itself along the rocks with its feet rather than actually walking, though this, again, is not yet verified.
Baptornis was related to the bigger, better known Hesperornis.
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