Pelagornithidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pelagornithidae Fossil range: Early Oligocene (possibly Early Eocene) - Pliocene |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Genera | ||||||||||
|
Gigantornis |
The Pelagornithidae or pseudo-tooth birds were a family of large seabirds from the order Pelecaniformes, which were common worldwide from the Eocene (or possibly Paleocene) up to the Miocene; undetermined species even occurring in Middle Eocene Antarctica. They had wingspans up to 6 m (20 ft) and were somewhat similar to albatrosses, although they had a large bill with tooth-like projections that enabled them to pick up slippery prey like fish or squids more easily. Their similarities with the Procellariiformes go so far that some paleontologists see them as possibly proving the common origin of pelicans and the tubenoses; Neptuniavis from the London Clay Early Eocene of England seems somewhat intermediate but is not known from much material, and Argilliornis from the same deposits may belong here too. The most well-known genus in the family is Osteodontornis, which lived in the Northern Hemisphere from the Early Oligocene to the Pliocene and was one of the largest birds of its time.
[edit] References
- Olson, Storrs L. (1985): The fossil record of birds. In: Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): Avian Biology 8: 79-238. Academic Press, New York.
- Stilwell, Jeffrey D.; Jones, Craig M.; Levy, Richard H. & Harwood, David M. (1998): First fossil bird from East Antarctica. Antarctic Journal of the United States 33(1): 12-16. PDF fulltext
 |
This prehistoric bird article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
