Pseudodontornis
Encyclopedia
Pseudodontornis is a rather disputed genus
of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. The pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids were probably rather close relatives of either pelican
s and stork
s, or of waterfowl
, and are here placed in the order
Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty. Up to five species
are commonly recognized in this genus.
But actually the genus Pseudodontornis is barely more than a nomen nudum
. And though it served as the namesake for a popular alternate common name
of the pseudotooth birds – "pseudodontorns" or "pseudodontornids" – that was extensively used in the 20th century, current authors prefer "pelagornithids" because this is less fraught with taxonomic dispute. Pelagornis
, the type genus
of the family
Pelagornithidae, was long unrecognized as a pseudotooth bird as it was known mainly from arm bones. Thus, though the Pelagornithidae were long recognized as very distinct, they were allied with the cormorant
and gannet
in suborder Sulae (or superfamily
Sulides in suborder Pelecanae) before it was recognized that they are actually pseudotooth birds. The presumed family "Pelagornithidae", deemed invalid nowadays, had been recognized as pseudotooth birds all along, as they were established based on skull fossils preserving parts of the "toothed" beak.
One of the species typically placed here – though in fact one that is rather unlikely to actually belong in Pseudodontornis – is the only smallish pseudotooth bird species known with certainty from the Neogene
as of 2009. However, the enigmatic Tympanonesiotes was of similar size and may also be of Neogene age.
P. longirostris (initially placed in Odontopteryx
) is known from an incomplete but quite well preserved fossil skull of unknown age and origin; it was bought from a merchant who had acquired it from a sailor returning from Brazil
, but the specimen is widely presumed to be actually from the North Sea
region. It is tentatively assigned an Eocene
age, if only due to the fact that suitable lagerstätten of different age were not known when the specimen was discovered. If not from Europe
however, its age is truly undeterminable. A pseudotooth bird's lower right dentary piece (specimen YPM 4617) from near Charleston, South Carolina
(USA) – apparently dredge
d up from near the source of the Stono River
– was provisionally assigned to P. longirostris as it closely matches the holotype
in size and appearance. At first the South Carolina fossil was believed to be from the Early Miocene
Hawthorne Formation, but in fact no Hawthorne Formation sediments were known in the Charleston region when the fossil was found. Consequently, modern authors consider a Chattian
(Late Oligocene) age more likely and suggest the fossil came from the Cooper or Chandler Bridge Formation. Some fossil remains from the Middle Miocene
Bahía Inglesa Formation of Chile
were prematurely affiliated with P. longirostris in error; they are, if anything, of Pelagornis.
The holotype
skull seems to have been lost, but judging from the description the genus might actually be a junior synonym of the (probably) Late Oligocene Palaeochenoides
, or either or both might properly belong in the otherwise Miocene
Pelagornis
. Like in that latter genus, between each two of P. longirostris large "teeth" was a single smaller one; whether there were even smaller points in addition as in Pelagornis allopatric contemporary Osteodontornis
cannot be ascertained. Its paroccipital process is not as markedly elongated back- and downwards as in the Ypresian
(Early Eocene) Dasornis
and Odontopteryx
and seems to be in a more apomorphic condition, which would agree with a late Paleogene
, possibly even (like Pelagornis) Neogene
age for the holotype. Its quadrate bone
had a broad main shaft like in Odontopteryx which like in that genus bore a broad lateral ridge that was not, however, curved, but straight as in Osteodontornis; like in that genus, the forward center of the quadrate's ventral articulation ridge extended upwards. Unlike in either Odontopteryx or Osteodontornis, the quadrate of P. longirostris had a socket for the quadratojugal
that was displaced dorsally. However its relationships may be, there can be no doubt that the mysterious skull was from one of the large pelagornithids, and the living bird must have had a wingspan
of more than 5, quite possibly as much as 6 m (16–20 ft).
. P. tenuirostris was proposed for a Late Paleocene-Early Eocene pseudotooth bird from Herne Bay, Kent
(England), and P. tschulensis is an approximately contemporary species from Zhylga (Kazakhstan
) that is sometimes placed in Odontopteryx. P. longidentata was described from the Ypresian London Clay
of the Isle of Sheppey
(England
); it is probably a junior synonym of Macrodontopteryx oweni (or Odontopteryx oweni) or – more likely due to its size – Dasornis emuinus
.
"P." stirtoni is a supposed Neogene member of this lineage. It was described from a crushed skull and femur
found on Motunau Beach on the eastern coast of the South Island, New Zealand. It, too, lacks crucial data; though there are suggestions that it is from the Greta Siltstone Formation or elsewhere in the Late Pliocene (Waitotaran) and dates back only 3.5 Ma (million years ago) – which would make it one of the very last of the pseudotooth birds –, its age can only be constrained to some time during the Miocene
or Pliocene
, i.e. a period of 20 million years. The Motunau Beach skull resembles the roughly contemporary Osteodontornis
of the North Pacific in having a jugal
arch that is short and very stout behind the orbit
al process of the prefrontal bone
– apparently unlike in P. longirostris. But the fossil femur measures 12.95 cm (5.1 in) – only half as large as that of Osteodontornis (or P. longirostris, for that matter). "P." stirtoni was thus marginally larger than the Australian Pelican
(Pelecanus conspicillatus) of our time, or about the size of the small Paleogene
pseudotooth bird Odontopteryx toliapica. Also of this species might be a proximal right radius
and a distal right humerus
– McKee collection A080 183 and A111 182, respectively – from the Waipipian (around 3 Ma) Tangahoe Mudstone Formation at Hawera
on New Zealand's North Island. They are a fairly good match in size for the "P." stirtoni holotype
. Though the proposed separation of this species in a monotypic
genus Neodontornis has been generally rejected, given the fossils' distinctness from P. longirostris in age, features, occurrence and size, it may just as well be appropriate.
Pseudotooth bird fossils from Early
to Middle Miocene
Astoria and perhaps also Nye Formations of Oregon
have also been assigned to Pseudodontornis. This is due to a writer's error, however, and should be "pseudodontornids". These remains are probably referrable to Osteodontornis.
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 the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. The pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids were probably rather close relatives of either pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s and stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s, or of waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
, and are here placed in 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...
Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty. Up to five 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...
are commonly recognized in this genus.
But actually the genus Pseudodontornis is barely more than a nomen nudum
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
. And though it served as the namesake for a popular alternate common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
of the pseudotooth birds – "pseudodontorns" or "pseudodontornids" – that was extensively used in the 20th century, current authors prefer "pelagornithids" because this is less fraught with taxonomic dispute. Pelagornis
Pelagornis
Pelagornis is a widely-known genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
, the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of 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...
Pelagornithidae, was long unrecognized as a pseudotooth bird as it was known mainly from arm bones. Thus, though the Pelagornithidae were long recognized as very distinct, they were allied with the cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
and gannet
Gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...
in suborder Sulae (or superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Sulides in suborder Pelecanae) before it was recognized that they are actually pseudotooth birds. The presumed family "Pelagornithidae", deemed invalid nowadays, had been recognized as pseudotooth birds all along, as they were established based on skull fossils preserving parts of the "toothed" beak.
One of the species typically placed here – though in fact one that is rather unlikely to actually belong in Pseudodontornis – is the only smallish pseudotooth bird species known with certainty from the Neogene
Neogene
The Neogene is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and ending 2.588 million years ago...
as of 2009. However, the enigmatic Tympanonesiotes was of similar size and may also be of Neogene age.
Type species and description
The type speciesType species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
P. longirostris (initially placed in Odontopteryx
Odontopteryx
Odontopteryx is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
) is known from an incomplete but quite well preserved fossil skull of unknown age and origin; it was bought from a merchant who had acquired it from a sailor returning from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but the specimen is widely presumed to be actually from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
region. It is tentatively assigned an Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
age, if only due to the fact that suitable lagerstätten of different age were not known when the specimen was discovered. If not from 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...
however, its age is truly undeterminable. A pseudotooth bird's lower right dentary piece (specimen YPM 4617) from near Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
(USA) – apparently dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
d up from near the source of the Stono River
Stono River
The Stono River is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns and James Island. The Intracoastal Waterway runs through...
– was provisionally assigned to P. longirostris as it closely matches the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
in size and appearance. At first the South Carolina fossil was believed to be from the Early Miocene
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....
Hawthorne Formation, but in fact no Hawthorne Formation sediments were known in the Charleston region when the fossil was found. Consequently, modern authors consider a Chattian
Chattian
The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the youngest of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene epoch/series. It spans the time between and . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian .-Stratigraphic definition:The Chattian was introduced by Austrian...
(Late Oligocene) age more likely and suggest the fossil came from the Cooper or Chandler Bridge Formation. Some fossil remains from the Middle Miocene
Middle Miocene
The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene....
Bahía Inglesa Formation of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
were prematurely affiliated with P. longirostris in error; they are, if anything, of Pelagornis.
The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
skull seems to have been lost, but judging from the description the genus might actually be a junior synonym of the (probably) Late Oligocene Palaeochenoides
Palaeochenoides
Palaeochenoides is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds of somewhat doubtful validity. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty.Only a single species,...
, or either or both might properly belong in the otherwise 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...
Pelagornis
Pelagornis
Pelagornis is a widely-known genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
. Like in that latter genus, between each two of P. longirostris large "teeth" was a single smaller one; whether there were even smaller points in addition as in Pelagornis allopatric contemporary Osteodontornis
Osteodontornis
Osteodontornis is an extinct seabird genus. It contains a single named species, Osteodontornis orri , which was described quite exactly one century after the first species of the Pelagornithidae was. O...
cannot be ascertained. Its paroccipital process is not as markedly elongated back- and downwards as in the Ypresian
Ypresian
In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between and , is preceded by the Thanetian age and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian age....
(Early Eocene) Dasornis
Dasornis
Dasornis is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
and Odontopteryx
Odontopteryx
Odontopteryx is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
and seems to be in a more apomorphic condition, which would agree with a late Paleogene
Paleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
, possibly even (like Pelagornis) Neogene
Neogene
The Neogene is a geologic period and system in the International Commission on Stratigraphy Geologic Timescale starting 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and ending 2.588 million years ago...
age for the holotype. Its quadrate bone
Quadrate bone
The quadrate bone is part of a skull in most tetrapods, including amphibians, sauropsids , and early synapsids. In these animals it connects to the quadratojugal and squamosal in the skull, and forms part of the jaw joint .- Evolutionary variation :In snakes, the quadrate bone has become elongated...
had a broad main shaft like in Odontopteryx which like in that genus bore a broad lateral ridge that was not, however, curved, but straight as in Osteodontornis; like in that genus, the forward center of the quadrate's ventral articulation ridge extended upwards. Unlike in either Odontopteryx or Osteodontornis, the quadrate of P. longirostris had a socket for the quadratojugal
Quadratojugal
The quadratojugal is a small jaw bone that is present in most amphibians, reptiles, and birds, but has been lost in mammals. It is connected to the jugal as well as other bones, though these may vary with species....
that was displaced dorsally. However its relationships may be, there can be no doubt that the mysterious skull was from one of the large pelagornithids, and the living bird must have had a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of more than 5, quite possibly as much as 6 m (16–20 ft).
Other species
It is not entirely resolved whether the other four Pseudodontornis are indeed valid and distinct speciesSpecies
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...
. P. tenuirostris was proposed for a Late Paleocene-Early Eocene pseudotooth bird from Herne Bay, Kent
Herne Bay, Kent
Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
(England), and P. tschulensis is an approximately contemporary species from Zhylga (Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
) that is sometimes placed in Odontopteryx. P. longidentata was described from the Ypresian London Clay
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
of the Isle of Sheppey
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
(England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
); it is probably a junior synonym of Macrodontopteryx oweni (or Odontopteryx oweni) or – more likely due to its size – Dasornis emuinus
Dasornis
Dasornis is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. These were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty....
.
"P." stirtoni is a supposed Neogene member of this lineage. It was described from a crushed skull and femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
found on Motunau Beach on the eastern coast of the South Island, New Zealand. It, too, lacks crucial data; though there are suggestions that it is from the Greta Siltstone Formation or elsewhere in the Late Pliocene (Waitotaran) and dates back only 3.5 Ma (million years ago) – which would make it one of the very last of the pseudotooth birds –, its age can only be constrained to some time during the 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...
or Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
, i.e. a period of 20 million years. The Motunau Beach skull resembles the roughly contemporary Osteodontornis
Osteodontornis
Osteodontornis is an extinct seabird genus. It contains a single named species, Osteodontornis orri , which was described quite exactly one century after the first species of the Pelagornithidae was. O...
of the North Pacific in having a jugal
Jugal
The jugal is a skull bone found in most reptiles, amphibians, and birds. In mammals, the jugal is often called the malar or Zygomatic. It is connected to the quadratojugal and maxilla, as well as other bones, which may vary by species....
arch that is short and very stout behind the orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
al process of the prefrontal bone
Prefrontal bone
The prefrontal bone is a bone separating the lacrimal and frontal bones in many tetrapod skulls. It first evolved in the sarcopterygian clade Rhipidistia, which includes lungfish and the Tetrapodomorpha. The prefrontal is found in most modern and extinct lungfish, amphibians and reptiles...
– apparently unlike in P. longirostris. But the fossil femur measures 12.95 cm (5.1 in) – only half as large as that of Osteodontornis (or P. longirostris, for that matter). "P." stirtoni was thus marginally larger than the Australian Pelican
Australian Pelican
The Australian Pelican is a large water bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand.-Taxonomy:...
(Pelecanus conspicillatus) of our time, or about the size of the small Paleogene
Paleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
pseudotooth bird Odontopteryx toliapica. Also of this species might be a proximal right radius
Radius (bone)
The radius is one of the two large bones of the forearm, the other being the ulna. It extends from the lateral side of the elbow to the thumb side of the wrist and runs parallel to the ulna, which exceeds it in length and size. It is a long bone, prism-shaped and slightly curved longitudinally...
and a distal right humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
– McKee collection A080 183 and A111 182, respectively – from the Waipipian (around 3 Ma) Tangahoe Mudstone Formation at Hawera
Hawera
Hawera is the second-largest town in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight, 75 kilometres south of New Plymouth on State Highway 3 and 20 minutes' drive from Mount Taranaki/Egmont.It is also on State Highway 45,...
on New Zealand's North Island. They are a fairly good match in size for the "P." stirtoni holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
. Though the proposed separation of this species in a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Neodontornis has been generally rejected, given the fossils' distinctness from P. longirostris in age, features, occurrence and size, it may just as well be appropriate.
Pseudotooth bird fossils from Early
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....
to Middle Miocene
Middle Miocene
The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene....
Astoria and perhaps also Nye Formations of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
have also been assigned to Pseudodontornis. This is due to a writer's error, however, and should be "pseudodontornids". These remains are probably referrable to Osteodontornis.