[dinosaur] Protodontopteryx, new pelagornithid from Paleocene of New Zealand

Ben Creisler
[email protected]

A new paper:

Protodontopteryx ruthae gen. et sp. nov.

Gerald Mayr, Vanesa L. De Pietri, Leigh Love, Al Mannering & Richard Paul
Scofield (2019)
Oldest, smallest and phylogenetically most basal pelagornithid, from the
early Paleocene of New Zealand, sheds light on the evolutionary history of
the largest flying birds.
Papers in Palaeontology (advance online publication)
doi: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__doi.org_10.1002_spp2.1284&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=CoQfFTmZdhjrj6pDy6PsYlBG9zkO9BSE-DTvkY6b6JU&s=c78lZhC9o3pOGtj6pplmEp5MmJz5EBQnU9OzA3V6GyI&e= 
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__onlinelibrary.wiley.com_doi_full_10.1002_spp2.1284&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=CoQfFTmZdhjrj6pDy6PsYlBG9zkO9BSE-DTvkY6b6JU&s=yRg0YT6b33UPR4dIetbb-H3gbGWXLaSRk3A-yHRzHS0&e= 


The Cenozoic Pelagornithidae, or pseudotoothed birds, are characterized by
unique bony projections along the cutting edges of the beak. These birds
were previously known from late Paleocene to Pliocene fossil sites and some
species reached wingspans up to 6.4 m. Here we describe a partial skeleton
of a small‐sized pelagornithid from the early Paleocene of New Zealand.
Protodontopteryx ruthae gen. et sp. nov. is the oldest record of the clade,
the smallest known species, and the first pre‐Eocene pelagornithid from the
Southern Hemisphere. The skull of the new species exhibits the
characteristic pelagornithid morphology, but the postcranial skeleton
distinctly differs from other pelagornithids, and various plesiomorphic
features indicate that it is the earliest‐diverging representative of the
Pelagornithidae. The much stouter humerus suggests that the new species was
less adapted to sustained soaring than previously known pelagornithids.
Pseudoteeth therefore evolved before pelagornithids became highly
specialized gliders. Unlike the giant Neogene pelagornithid species, which
presumably were skimmers, early Paleocene pelagornithids are likely to have
targeted selected prey items and may have been predominantly piscivorous.
The new species furthermore suggests that pelagornithids evolved in the
Southern Hemisphere and documents a very early radiation of neornithine
seabirds, which may have been triggered by changes in marine ecosystems
around the K–Pg boundary.

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