| Naranbulagornis Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Genus: | † Naranbulagornis Zelenkov, 2018 |
| Type species | |
| Naranbulagornis khun Zelenkov, 2018 | |
Naranbulagornis is an extinct monotypic genus of basal waterfowl. Its type and only known species, N. khun, is known from two Late Paleocene localities in Southern Mongolia. [1]
All known remains of Naranbulagornis were collected between 1970 and 1971 during the Joint Russian-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition in the Naran-Bulag and Tsagaan-Khushuu localities, both representing the Late Paleocene Naran Member of the Naran-Bulak Formation. The known material was described as the new genus and species Naranbulagornis khun in 2018 by Nikita Zelenkov. The genus name is formed from the prefix "Naranbulag", designing the name of the type locality, meaning "sunshine spring" in Mongolian, and the suffix "-ornis", meaning "bird". The species name, "khun", means "swan" in Mongolian. [1]
Naranbulagornis was a quite large waterfowl, a fourth larger than the contemporary Anatalavis ; it was presumably the largest anseriform of its time, reaching the size of the modern coscoroba swan. The holotype, the proximal end of a right carpometacarpus from Naran-Bulag, reached 58 mm in length ; most notably, and contrarily to all other anseriforms, its pisiform process was positioned at the level of the proximal margin of the extensor process. The referred material, consisting in the distal fragment of a femur, was 61.1 mm long ; despite the lack of overlapping material, it was referred to the genus due to its large size, similar to that of the Oligocene swan Cygnopterus . The presence of an elongate scar on the laterocaudal surface of the shaft is typical of all swimming anseriforms ; it was particularly deep as in modern large ducks. [1]
Naranbulagornis was a more proficient swimmer than the teal-sized presbyornithid that lived in its environment ; similarities are quite important with modern swans, suggesting similar ways of moving through water and land. It may not have been as specialized for diving. [1]
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae, Anseranatidae, and Anatidae, the largest family, which includes over 170 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans. Most modern species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at the water surface. With the exception of screamers, males have penises, a trait that has been lost in the Neoaves. Due to their aquatic nature, most species are web-footed.
Anseranatidae, the magpie-geese, is a biological family of waterbirds. The only living species, the magpie goose, is a resident breeder in northern Australia and in southern New Guinea.
Presbyornis is an extinct genus of presbyornithid bird from North America during the Paleogene period, between the Late Paleocene and Early Eocene.
Presbyornithidae is an extinct group of birds found in North America, South America, East Asia, Australia and possibly North Africa. They had evolved by the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous and became extinct during the Aquitanian age of the Early Miocene. The family contains the oldest known neognath, Teviornis from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia.
The Pelagornithidae, commonly called pelagornithids, pseudodontorns, bony-toothed birds, false-toothed birds or pseudotooth birds, are a prehistoric family of large seabirds. Their fossil remains have been found all over the world in rocks dating between the Early Paleocene and the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary.
Anatalavis is genus of prehistoric birds related to ducks and geese, perhaps to the magpie-goose in particular. Alternatively, it might have been a more basal lineage of Anserimorphae distinct from the living waterfowl, similar or even related to the roughly contemporary Conflicto antarcticus from the Danian of Antarctica.
Gurilynia is a genus of enantiornithine birds. One species is known, G. nessovi. It lived during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, between 70 and 66 mya. Gurilynia is known from fragmentary fossils found at the Gurilyn Tsav locality of the Nemegt Formation in south Gobi, Mongolia.
Teviornis is an extinct genus of presbyornithid which lived during the Maastrichtian stage, around 70 million years ago. One species has been described, T. gobiensis. It is the oldest known neognath and its fossils are collected from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia.
Physornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds", most closely related to Paraphysornis, that lived in Argentina. The type species is P. fortis. It lived during the Middle to Late Oligocene (Deseadan). Few fossils are known, but the available material suggests that Physornis was one of the largest phorusrhacids.
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.
Pseudodontornis is a rather disputed genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. The pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids 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. Up to five species are commonly recognized in this genus.
Lophogallus is a genus of prehistoric phasianid which is known from the Oshin Formation during the middle Miocene. It is known from the holotype humerus and a referred partial femur, both from the type locality of Naran Bulak, Mongolia. It was described by N. V. Zelenkov and E. N. Kurochkin in 2010, and the type species is Lophogallus naranbulakensis.
Tzaganosuchus is an extinct monospecific genus of fossil crocodile from the Gobi Desert of southern/southeastern Mongolia. The type and only known species for this genus, Tzaganosuchus infansis was discovered during a joint paleontological expedition conducted by the Soviet Union and Mongolia. That same expedition also described several other reptiles including several species of Shamosuchus and the archosauromorph genus Irenosaurus. The prefix of the name "Tzaganosuchus" is a Mongol word derived from the locality where its fossils were first found: the Tsagan Khushu Quarry, which dates to the Paleogene epoch and is part of the Naran-Bulak Formation. The suffix suchus is a Latin word for crocodile.
Wilaru is an extinct genus of presbyornithid bird from Australia during the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene, around 26-22 million years ago. The type species is Wilaru tedfordi, and the second species is Wilaru prideauxi.
The Odontoanserae is a proposed clade that includes the family Pelagornithidae and the clade Anserimorphae. The placement of the pseudo-toothed birds in the evolutionary tree of birds has been problematic, with some supporting the placement of them near the orders Procellariformes and Pelecaniformes based on features in the sternum.
Sinanas is a genus of prehistoric duck that lived during the middle Miocene. The single known species is Sinanas diatomas. Fossils of the species have been recovered from the Shandong Province of China. Taxonomists are uncertain as to its affinities to modern waterfowl.
Garganornis is an extinct genus of enormous flightless anatid waterfowl from the Late Miocene of Gargano, Italy. The genus contains one species, G. ballmanni, named by Meijer in 2014. Its enormous size is thought to have been an adaptation to living in exposed, open areas with no terrestrial predators, and as a deterrent to the indigenous aerial predators like the eagle Garganoaetus and the giant barn owl Tyto gigantea.
Conflicto antarcticus is a species of stem waterfowl whose fossils were found in the early Paleocene López de Bertodano Formation of Antarctica, the only species of its genus and the family Conflictonidae. It is characterized by it slender body and long legs, yet possesses a duck-like bill which indicates the form of beak evolved early in Anseriformes.
Podiceps solidus is an extinct small species of Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene grebe from Western Mongolia.
Tologuica is an extinct genus of phasianid bird. The remains of both species belonging to the genus, T. aurorae and T. karhui, were discovered in Middle Miocene rocks of the Ööshin Formation, in Mongolia.
