''Aythya'' is a
genus of
diving ducks. It has twelve described species. The name ''Aythya'' comes from the Ancient Greek word (), which may have referred to a sea-dwelling duck or an
auklet.
''Aythya shihuibas'' was described from the
Late Miocene
The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Zelenkov (2016) transferred the species ''
Anas denesi'' Kessler (2013), known from the late Miocene of
Hungary, to the genus ''Aythya''. An undescribed prehistoric species is known only from
Early Pleistocene
The Early Pleistocene is an unofficial sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, being the earliest division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently estimated to span the time ...
fossil remains found at
Dursunlu,
Turkey; it might however be referrable to a
paleosubspecies of an extant species considering its age (see also
Greater scaup).
The
Miocene ''"Aythya" arvernensis'' is now placed in ''
Mionetta'', while ''"Aythya" chauvirae'' seems to contain the remains of two species, at least one of which does not seem to be a diving duck.
The genus ''Aythya'' was introduced in 1822 by the German zoologist
Friedrich Boie. The
type species is the
greater scaup.
''Aythya'' species
The genus contains 12 species.
Phylogeny
Based on the ''Taxonomy in Flux'' from John Boyd's website.
['']Taxonomy in Flux
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. A ...
'
See also
*
Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
*
List of fossil bird genera
File:Canvasback pair2.jpg, Canvasback (''Aythya valisineria'')
File:Aythya ferina (Marek Szczepanek).jpg, Common pochard (''Aythya ferina'')
File:Redhead_duck_(Aythya_americana,_male).jpg, Redhead (''Aythya americana'')
File:Aythya-collaris-001.jpg, Ring-necked duck (''Aythya collaris'')
File:Aythya australis female - Hurstville Golf Course.jpg, Female Hardhead (''Aythya australis'')
File:Qtqy.jpg, Baer's pochard (''Aythya baeri'')
File:Aythya nyroca16.jpg, Ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca'')
File:AythyaInnotata.svg, Madagascar pochard (''Aythya innotata'')
File:NZ Scaup 01.jpg, New Zealand scaup (''Aythya novaeseelandiae'')
File:Tufted-Duck-male-female.jpg, Tufted duck (''Aythya fuligula'')
File:Greater-scaup-male2.jpg, Greater scaup (''Aythya marila'')
File:Veilchenente Aythya affinis 0505282.jpg, Lesser scaup (''Aythya affinis'')
References
Diving ducks
Bird genera
Taxa named by Friedrich Boie
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