| Paakniwatavis | |
|---|---|
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| Paakniwatavis holotype | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Genus: | †Paakniwatavis Musser & Clarke, 2024 |
| Species: | †P. grandei
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| Binomial name | |
| †Paakniwatavis grandei Musser & Clarke, 2024
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Paakniwatavis (meaning "Water Spirit bird") is a genus of extinct waterfowl from the early Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, United States. The genus contains a single species, P. grandei, known from a partial skeleton with a skull.
Discovery and naming
[edit]The Paakniwatavis holotype specimen, FMNH PA725, was discovered in sediments of the Green River Formation (Fossil Butte Member) near Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The specimen consists of a nearly complete skeleton with the skull, preserved two-dimensionally on a single slab.[1][2]
In 2024, Musser & Clarke described Paakniwatavis grandei as a new genus and species of basal anseriform birds based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Paakniwatavis, combines a reference to the Paakniwat—the supernatural "Water Spirits" or "Water Babies" of Shoshoni legend—with the Latin word "avis", meaning "bird, referencing the presumed aquatic habitat occupied by the species.[3] The specific name, grandei, honors researcher Lance Grande, the discoverer of the holotype specimen.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2024-07-30). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". PLOS One. 19 (7): e0278737. bioRxiv 10.1101/2022.11.23.517648. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278737. PMC 11288464. PMID 39078833.
- ^ Houde, Peter; Dickson, Meig; Camarena, Dakota (February 2023). "Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe". Diversity. 15 (2): 233. doi:10.3390/d15020233. ISSN 1424-2818.
- ^ "Native American Legends: Water Babies". Native Languages of the Americas. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
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