Phoeniconotius
Phoeniconotius Temporal range:
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Phoenicopteriformes |
Family: | Phoenicopteridae |
Genus: | †Phoeniconotius Miller, 1963 |
Species: | †P. eyrensis
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Binomial name | |
†Phoeniconotius eyrensis Miller, 1963
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Phoeniconotius is an extinct genus of flamingo that lived in Australia from the late Oligocene to the early Miocene. Unlike modern flamingos and the contemporary Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae, it was likely less well adapted for swimming and deep water wading. Phoeniconotius was a robust flamingo with bones more massive than those of the modern greater flamingo. Only a single species is recognized, Phoeniconotius eyrensis.[1][2]
History
The fossils of Phoeniconotius have been discovered in the
Description
The Phoeniconotius material generally resembles that of modern flamingos. Where the third trochlea connects with the third toe, the bone is truncated rather than elongated as in modern species and the second trochlea has a broad, rounded concavity bodering the articular surface. Like in extant taxa, the second trochlea is elevated and deflects towards the plantar surface. The third trochlea is also more robust and wider than in extant flamingos and is more similar to the massiveness observed in the
Paleobiology
Unlike the contemporary Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae, Phoeniconotius appears to differ somewhat from the lifestyle of modern flamingos. Miller argues that the anatomy of the foot is poorly suited for swimming or deep water wading. In modern swimming birds, the plantar surface of the foot is built to allow for greater extension, while the foot of Phoeniconotius is built more like that of a terrestrial wader akin to a crane. This is further supported by the robust phalanges and the seemingly well developed first toe, which is reduced in flamingos but well developed in less aquatic wading birds like storks and cranes.[1]
References
- ^ doi:10.2307/1365355.
- ^ Pledge, N. S.; Tedford, R. H. (1990). "17: Vertebrate fossils". Natural History of the North East Deserts (PDF). Adelaide: Royal Society of South Australia. pp. 199–209.