Hoazinoides
Encyclopedia
Hoazinoides is an extinct genus
of bird
from the middle Miocene
from the"Monkey Beds" of the Villavieja Formation of La Venta
, Colombia
. It is a member of the family Opisthocomidae, which also includes the hoatzin
and several other extinct genera. The only known species is Hoazinoides magdalenae. Its generic epithet refers to its refers to its resemblance to modern hoatzin, and its specific name refers to its discovery near the Magdalena River
basin. Like many other fossil birds, it is known from fragmentary remains, including a partial skull
and other bones of the extremities. From these remains it appears that this bird was similar to that of hoatzin, although smaller, and distinguished from it in the parietal
wall of the skull is concave and the coracoid and sternum
were not fused . This is why Rasmussen and Tab (1997) erected a new family, Hoazinoididae, for it.. Its feet were like those of modern owl
s, in which the fourth toe can rotate backwards. Additionally, the remains of its distal ulna
and carpal-metacarpal suggest that its arms were similar to those of hoatzins.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
from the middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
from the"Monkey Beds" of the Villavieja Formation of La Venta
La Venta (Colombia)
La Venta is a settlement between the modern Tolima Department and Huila Department, Colombia. Nearby, one of the richest Neogene fossil assemblages in the whole of South America is known...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It is a member of the family Opisthocomidae, which also includes the hoatzin
Hoatzin
The Hoatzin , also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje Pheasant, is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forest and mangrove of the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America...
and several other extinct genera. The only known species is Hoazinoides magdalenae. Its generic epithet refers to its refers to its resemblance to modern hoatzin, and its specific name refers to its discovery near the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
basin. Like many other fossil birds, it is known from fragmentary remains, including a partial skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
and other bones of the extremities. From these remains it appears that this bird was similar to that of hoatzin, although smaller, and distinguished from it in the parietal
Parietal
Parietal may refer to:*Parietal placentation*Parietal lobe of the brain*Parietal bone of the skull*Parietal scales of a snake lie in the general region of the parietal bone*Parietal cell in the stomach*Parietal pleura...
wall of the skull is concave and the coracoid and sternum
Sternum
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bony plate shaped like a capital "T" located anteriorly to the heart in the center of the thorax...
were not fused . This is why Rasmussen and Tab (1997) erected a new family, Hoazinoididae, for it.. Its feet were like those of modern owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, in which the fourth toe can rotate backwards. Additionally, the remains of its distal ulna
Ulna
The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form and runs parallel to the radius, which is shorter and smaller. In anatomical position The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form...
and carpal-metacarpal suggest that its arms were similar to those of hoatzins.