Palaelodus
Encyclopedia
Palaelodus is an extinct genus of bird
s distantly related to flamingos. They were slender birds with long, thin legs and a long neck. Little is known about the shape of their skull
or beak. Some paleontologists
think Palaelodus was able to swim under water, chasing prey, but the morphology
of their feet seems not very well adapted for diving. Rather, it is more likely that they were adapted to browsing for food while swimming or standing in shallow water.
The family
, Palaelodidae, is the sister taxon of modern flamingos, and the order
Phoenicopteriformes, to which both belong, probably evolved from a grebe
-like ancestor. It is easy to see how a bird like Palaelodus represents an intermediate form between a diving, fish-eating grebe and a wading, invertebrate-filtering flamingo. This does not mean that the palaelodids are the ancestors of the flamingos. Rather, they were a sister group that remained in the ecological niche
of their common ancestor.
The number of species in the genus is disputed. The species P. ambiguus was found in Middle Oligocene
to Middle Miocene
(c. 29-12 mya) deposits of Western and Central Europe
, being rare in Oligocene and much more common in Miocene strata (Hugueney et al., 2003). The Romania
n fossil Grus miocaenicus is sometimes considered a synonym of this species. Other, somewhat doubtful species described from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene (c. 28-23 mya) of French inland sites are P. gracilipes and P. crassipes which are most common in the Late Oligocene and later are replaced by P. ambiguus (Hugueney et al., 2003). From Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene (c. 28-12 mya) sites in Australia
, the species P. pledgei was described. P. wilsoni was found in Middle Pleistocene
deposits (roughly half a million years ago) in Australia; given the large temporal gap, it might not belong into this genus. On the other hand, the supposed crane
Pliogrus germanicus most likely belongs into this genus. Sometimes, Megapalaolodus goliath is included in Palaelodus too.
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...
s distantly related to flamingos. They were slender birds with long, thin legs and a long neck. Little is known about the shape of their 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...
or beak. Some paleontologists
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
think Palaelodus was able to swim under water, chasing prey, but the morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
of their feet seems not very well adapted for diving. Rather, it is more likely that they were adapted to browsing for food while swimming or standing in shallow water.
The family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Palaelodidae, is the sister taxon of modern flamingos, and the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Phoenicopteriformes, to which both belong, probably evolved from a grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
-like ancestor. It is easy to see how a bird like Palaelodus represents an intermediate form between a diving, fish-eating grebe and a wading, invertebrate-filtering flamingo. This does not mean that the palaelodids are the ancestors of the flamingos. Rather, they were a sister group that remained in the ecological niche
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
of their common ancestor.
The number of species in the genus is disputed. The species P. ambiguus was found in Middle Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
to 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...
(c. 29-12 mya) deposits of Western and Central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, being rare in Oligocene and much more common in Miocene strata (Hugueney et al., 2003). The Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n fossil Grus miocaenicus is sometimes considered a synonym of this species. Other, somewhat doubtful species described from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene (c. 28-23 mya) of French inland sites are P. gracilipes and P. crassipes which are most common in the Late Oligocene and later are replaced by P. ambiguus (Hugueney et al., 2003). From Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene (c. 28-12 mya) sites in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the species P. pledgei was described. P. wilsoni was found in Middle Pleistocene
Middle Pleistocene
The Middle Pleistocene, more specifically referred to as the Ionian stage, is a period of geologic time from ca. 781 to 126 thousand years ago....
deposits (roughly half a million years ago) in Australia; given the large temporal gap, it might not belong into this genus. On the other hand, the supposed crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
Pliogrus germanicus most likely belongs into this genus. Sometimes, Megapalaolodus goliath is included in Palaelodus too.