Neogaeornis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Neogaeornis Fossil range: Late Cretaceous |
||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Neogaeornis wetzeli |
||||||||||||||||
| Synonyms | ||||||||||||||||
|
Neogaeornis welltsii (lapsus) |
Neogaeornis is a controversial prehistoric genus of diving bird. The single known species, Neogaeornis wetzeli, was described from fossils found in the Quinriquina Formation of Chile. It lived about 75[verification needed] million years ago.
It is controversial because of its uncertain placement. While clearly related to modern birds, N. wetzeli might not be a particularly close relative, but rather belong to the Baptornithidae, which were Hesperornithes.
Others consider it a close relative of certain modern birds, such as the Gaviiformes (loons/divers). Both theories are problematic, as neither group is known from the Southern Hemisphere from any species living or extinct (if one discounts the even more controversial supposed loon ancestor Polarornis, with which Neogaeornis is sometimes allied).
Recognizing this, the theory that Neogaeornis may instead be related to the apparently paraphyletic tubenoses (Procellariiformes) and thus be an extinct diving lineage related to albatrosses, petrels, and maybe penguins, seems at least as plausible. Both loons and tubenoses are strongly suspected to have evolved in the Late Cretaceous already, and the latter are plentiful in the Southern Hemisphere today and apparently always were. The closest living relatives of the penguins are also suspected to be among these birds. While Neogaeornis almost certainly was not a "proto-penguin" (see Waimanu), it may instead have been a previous attempt by evolution to produce a roughly penguin-like bird.
 |
This prehistoric bird article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
