We describe an enormous Late Cretaceous fossil bird from Kazakhstan, known from a pair of edentulous mandibular rami (greater than 275 mm long), which adds significantly to our knowledge of Mesozoic avian morphological and ecological diversity. A suite of autapomorphies lead us to recognize the specimen as a new taxon. Phylogenetic analysis resolves this giant bird deep within Aves as a basal member of Ornithuromorpha. This Kazakh fossil demonstrates that large body size evolved at least once outside modern birds (Neornithes) and reveals hitherto unexpected trophic diversity within Cretaceous Aves.
Titolo: | A gigantic bird from the Upper Cretaceous of Central Asia |
Autore/i: | Naish, D.; Dyke, G.; CAU, ANDREA; Escuillie, F.; Godefroit, P. |
Autore/i Unibo: | |
Anno: | 2012 |
Rivista: | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.0683 |
Abstract: | We describe an enormous Late Cretaceous fossil bird from Kazakhstan, known from a pair of edentulous mandibular rami (greater than 275 mm long), which adds significantly to our knowledge of Mesozoic avian morphological and ecological diversity. A suite of autapomorphies lead us to recognize the specimen as a new taxon. Phylogenetic analysis resolves this giant bird deep within Aves as a basal member of Ornithuromorpha. This Kazakh fossil demonstrates that large body size evolved at least once outside modern birds (Neornithes) and reveals hitherto unexpected trophic diversity within Cretaceous Aves. |
Data stato definitivo: | 2015-11-17T09:29:17Z |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.01 Articolo in rivista |
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