Pasquiaornis
Encyclopedia
Pasquiaornis is a prehistoric flightless bird
genus
from the Late Cretaceous
. It lived during the late Cenomanian
, some 95-93 million years ago.
Two species
have been described, P. hardiei and P. tankei. It is not entirely certain that they are really distinct however. The genus Pasquiaornis was a member of the Hesperornithes
, flightless toothed seabirds of the Cretaceous
. Though its relationships to other members of this group are inadequately known, Pasquiaornis appears to have been one of the more basal lineages.
Flightless bird
Flightless birds are birds which lack the ability to fly, relying instead on their ability to run or swim. They are thought to have evolved from flying ancestors. There are about forty species in existence today, the best known being the ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea, kiwi, and penguin...
genus
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...
from the Late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. It lived during the late Cenomanian
Cenomanian
The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous series. An age is a unit of geochronology: it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the stratigraphic column deposited during the corresponding...
, some 95-93 million years ago.
Two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
have been described, P. hardiei and P. tankei. It is not entirely certain that they are really distinct however. The genus Pasquiaornis was a member of the Hesperornithes
Hesperornithes
Hesperornithes is an extinct and highly specialized clade of Cretaceous toothed birds. Hesperornithine birds, apparently limited to former aquatic habitats in the Northern Hemisphere, include genera such as Hesperornis, Parahesperornis, Baptornis, Enaliornis, and probably Potamornis, all...
, flightless toothed seabirds of the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. Though its relationships to other members of this group are inadequately known, Pasquiaornis appears to have been one of the more basal lineages.