Enaliornis
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| Enaliornis Fossil range: Early Cretaceous |
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Fossil
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Enaliornis barretti (type) |
Enaliornis is a genus of hesperornithine bird which lived in the late Early Cretaceous, making it the oldest known hesperornithine. Fossils have been found near Cambridge, England. Due to its lack of certain hesperornithid apomorphies, they were much more "conventional" birds and were initially held to be Gaviiformes (loons/divers)[1].
Three species have been described: The small Enaliornis sedgwicki, the medium-sized Enaliornis seeleyi, and the large Enaliornis barretti. Together, they are the only birds currently assigned to the family Enaliornithidae. The presumed hesperornithine Potamornis from the Late Cretaceous Lance Formation of Buck Creek (USA) may also be related to this group.
[edit] References
- Harrison, C.J.O. & Walker, C.A. (1973): Wyleyia: a new bird humerus from the Lower Cretaceous of England. Palaeontology 16(4): 721-728. PDF fulltext
[edit] References
- ^ Harrison & Walker (1973)
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