Parahesperornis

Parahesperornis; Temporal range: Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Replica skeleton
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Avialae
Clade:	†Hesperornithes
Family:	† Hesperornithidae
Genus:	†Parahesperornis; Martin, 1984
Type species
	†Parahesperornis alexi; Martin, 1984
Other species
	?Parahesperornis bazhanovi Nessov & Prizemlin, 1991;
Synonyms
	? Asiahesperornis bazhanovi;

Parahesperornis is a genus of prehistoric

Niobrara Chalk, these are from around the Coniacian-Santonian

boundary, 85–82 million years ago (mya).

Parahesperornis alexi (Martin, 1984) was long lumped with specimen

KUVP 2287, which eventually became the holotype of P. alexi. Nonetheless, the taxon description of Hargeria was about "Hesperornis" gracilis exclusively, and thus despite the misidentification it applies to YPM 1478, the holotype of "H." gracilis. This mistake was rectified by later authors, who sank Hargeria back into Hesperornis.^[1]

In 2017, Asiahesperornis was considered as a possible synonym of Parahesperornis.

Parahesperornis was a member of the

Hesperornithiformes

and (due to the smallish size) to Parahesperornis specifically. However, they are not very diagnostic regardless, and the diversity of Parahesperornis remains enigmatic.

Footnotes

^ Bell, A. and Everhart, M.J. (2009). "A new specimen of Parahesperornis (Aves: Hesperornithiformes) from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Early Campanian) of Western Kansas." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 112(1/2): 7-14.
^ Mortimer (2004)

References

Lucas, F. A. 1903. Notes on the osteology and relationships of the fossil birds of the genera Hesperornis, Hargenia, Baptornis, and Diatryma. Proc. U.S. National Mus. 26:545-556.
Martin, L. 1984. A new Hesperornithid and the relationships of the Mesozoic birds. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 87:141-150.
Mortimer, Michael (2004): The Theropod Database: Phylogeny of taxa. Retrieved 2013-MAR-02.
Williston. S.W. 1898. Birds. University Geological Survey of Kansas 4(2):43-64.

External links

Kansas Geological Survey: Parahesperornis alexi reconstruction. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
Oceans of Kansas Paleontology: [1]
. Retrieved 209-JAN-15

UC Davis: Moveable 3D rendering of P. alexi tibiotarsus
. Digitized from KUVP 2287. Requires Java, IFC or 3DC plugin. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.

[bellparahesp-1] Bell, A. and Everhart, M.J. (2009). "A new specimen of Parahesperornis (Aves: Hesperornithiformes) from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Early Campanian) of Western Kansas." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 112(1/2): 7-14.

[mortimer2004-2] Mortimer (2004)

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