| Podiceps solidus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Podicipediformes |
| Family: | Podicipedidae |
| Genus: | Podiceps |
| Species: | †P. solidus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Podiceps solidus Kuročkin, 1985 | |
Podiceps solidus is an extinct small species of Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene grebe from Western Mongolia.
The species was first described in 1985 by Kuročkin. [1] Zelenkov would describe more material that is housed at the Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences in 2013. [2]
The holotype (PIN 3222/37) is of a distal fragment of the right humerus. [1] The additional material that would later be described by Zelenkov (2013) include a distal fragment of the left tibiotarsus (PIN 3378/98), a right coracoid (PIN 3378/113), and a distal portion of a tarsometatarsus (PIN 3378/96) from an immature bird. The size of the bones suggests a smaller species of grebe comparable to both black-necked grebe (P. nigricollis) and horned grebe (P. auritus). For example, the coracoid is most similar to the black-necked grebe, while the tibotarsus is more closer to those of horned grebes. [2]
The species is a member of the genus Podiceps. P. solidus was compared to P. pisanus of the Piacenzian Italy. P. pisanus is often considered to be a junior synonym of the horned grebe. [3] [4] Zelenkov (2013) argues, however, that P. solidus is not a junior synonym of either P. pisanus or the horned grebe, due to the aforementioned mosiac characters it has with both horned and black-necked grebes, possibly closely related to the last common ancestor of these species. [2]
The temporal range of the specimens shows P. solidus existed from the Messinian to the Zanclean of Mongolia. The holotype was found at the locality Hyargas-Nuur 2 dating to the Upper Miocene, while the other specimens found at the localities Chono-Harayah 1 and 2, and Zogsoo-Harhan 1 and 4 dating to the Lower Pliocene. [2] In a later paper that discusses the evolution of Neogene Central Asian avifauna Zelenkov (2016) noted how quickly grebes have established themselves in the region, going from primitive genera such as the Aquitanian Miobaptus to the modern Podiceps . [5]
Struthioniformes is an order of birds with only a single extant family, Struthionidae, containing the ostriches. Several other extinct families are known, spanning across the Northern Hemisphere, from the Early Eocene to the early Pliocene, including a variety of flightless forms like the Paleotididae, Geranoididae, Eogruidae and Ergilornithidae, the latter two thought to be closely related to Struthionidae.
Grebes are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes. Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Most grebes fly, although some flightless species exist, most notably in stable lakes. The order contains a single family, the Podicipedidae, which includes 22 species in six extant genera.
The horned grebe or Slavonian grebe is a relatively small and threatened species of waterbird in the family Podicipedidae. There are two subspecies: P. a. auritus, which breeds in Eurasia, and P. a. cornutus, which breeds in North America. The Eurasian subspecies is distributed over most of northern Europe and northern Asia, breeding from Greenland east to the Russian Far East. The North American subspecies spans most of Canada and some of the United States. The species got its name from large patches of yellowish feathers located behind the eyes, called "horns", that the birds can raise and lower at will..
The bird genus Eremophila comprises the two horned larks.
Podiceps is a genus of birds in the grebe family. The genus name comes from Latin podicis, "rear-end" and ped, "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body.
Palaelodus is an extinct genus of bird of the Palaelodidae family, distantly related to flamingos. They were slender birds with long, thin legs and a long neck resembling their modern relatives, but likely lived very different livestyles. They had straight, conical beaks not suited for filter feeding and legs showing some similarities to grebes. Their precise lifestyle is disputed, with researchers in the past suggesting they may have been divers, while more recent research suggests they may have used their stiff toes as paddles for swimming while feeding on insect larvae and snails. This behavior may have been key in later phoenicopteriforms developing filterfeeding bills. The genus includes between five and eight species and is found across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and possibly South America. However some argue that most of the taxa named from Europe simply represent differently sized individuals of one single species. Palaelodus was most abundant during the Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene periods, but isolated remains from Australia indicate that the genus, or at least a relative, survived until the Pleistocene.
Megapaloelodus is an extinct genus of stem flamingo of the family Palaelodidae. Megapaloelodus is primarily known from Miocene America, from South Dakota and Oregon in the north to Argentina in the south, but the species Megapaloelodus goliath was found in Europe. Additionally, one unnamed species was discovered in Miocene sediments from Namibia. Due to a lack of skull material, little can be said about the ecology of Megapaloelodus. Species of this genus are typically larger than those of Palaelodus and appear to have inhabited similar brackish lake environments. Additionally, they may have been capable of "locking" their legs in a standing position.
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.
Thiornis is a fossil genus of Middle Miocene grebe known from a nearly complete specimen from Libros, Spain. Originally classified as a type of moorhen, Thiornis has since been classified as a species of grebe. The overall anatomy of the bird is identical to modern grebes. It contains a single species, T. sociata.
Miobaptus is a fossil genus of grebe that is known from several specimens collected from Czechia and Lake Baikal dating from the Early Miocene to Middle Miocene. Considered to be one of the most primitive genera of grebes, the anatomy of Miobaptus suggests it was less adapted for the aquatic mode of life than modern grebes, but had better flight maneuverability.
Pliolymbus is a fossil genus of grebe known from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of United States and Mexico. It is known from a single species, P. baryosteus.
Podilymbus majusculus is an extinct species of grebe recovered from the Piacenzian age of the United States.
Podiceps csarnotanus is an extinct species of Upper Pliocene grebe from Hungary.
Podiceps oligoceanus is an extinct species of grebe possibly from the Neogene period which the specimen has been found in the United States.
Podiceps dixi is a possible extinct species of grebe from the United States.
Podiceps howardae is a possible extinct species of grebe from the United States, possibly a larger and earlier form of the horned grebe.
Podiceps miocenicus is an extinct species of large Late Miocene grebe from Moldova.
Podiceps discors is an extinct species of grebe from the Upper Pliocene of western North America. It was similar to the black-necked grebe.
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.