''Osteodontornis'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

. It contains a single named

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, ''Osteodontornis orri'' (Orr's bony-toothed bird, in literal translation of its

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

), which was described quite exactly one century after the first species of the

Pelagornithidae 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 ...

('' Pelagornis miocaenus'') was. ''O. orri'' was named after then-recently deceased naturalist Ellison Orr. The bony-toothed or

pseudotooth bird The Pelagornithidae, commonly called pelagornithids, pseudodontorns, bony-toothed birds, false-toothed birds or pseudotooth birds, are a prehistoric family (biology), family of large seabirds. Their fossil remains have been found all over the wor ...

s were initially believed to be related to

albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

es in the

Procellariiformes Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, the petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still called tubenoses in English, procellariiforms are of ...

, but actually they seem to be rather close relatives of either

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

s and

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

s, or of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

, and are here placed in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty. Also, their internal

taxonomy 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. ...

is not well-resolved. An earlier-described pseudotooth bird, ''

Cyphornis magnus ''Cyphornis'' is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. 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. Desc ...

'' from

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

(Canada), was believed to be of

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

age but is nowadays assumed to have lived about twenty million years ago in the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was prece ...

, not too long before the

Clarendonian The Clarendonian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 13,600,000 to 10,300,000 years BP, a period of . It is u ...

( Middle/

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 ...

) ''O. orri''. It may be that ''Osteodontornis'' is a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of ''Cyphornis''.

Description

With a wingspan of and a height of when on the ground, ''Osteodontornis orri'' and similar giant pseudotooth birds were the second-largest flying birds known, surpassed only by the

teratorn Teratornithidae is an extinct family of very large birds of prey that lived in North and South America from the Late Oligocene to the Late Pleistocene. They include some of the largest known flying birds. Taxonomy Teratornithidae are related ...

Argentavis magnificens ''Argentavis magnificens'' was among the largest flying birds ever to exist. While it is still considered the heaviest flying bird of all time, ''Argentavis'' was likely surpassed in wingspan by '' Pelagornis sandersi'' which is estimated to have ...

''. The head, from neck to bill-tip, measured about , and the eyesockets were about wide. The

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

, though about as long as a human's, was only about wide at the shoulder end. The skull's

quadrate bone The quadrate bone is a skull bone in most tetrapods, including amphibians, sauropsids (reptiles, birds), and early synapsids. In most tetrapods, the quadrate bone connects to the quadratojugal and squamosal bones in the skull, and forms upper ...

measured almost at its widest and was nearly high. Like its relatives, ''O. orri'' had a stout but extremely light-boned body, feet that were presumably webbed as in its aquatic relatives, and long and probably very narrow

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

s resembling those of an

. Its

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

made up about three-quarters of the head's length and had bony

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

-like serrations that were hollow or maybe filled with

cancellous bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

. The beak was so heavy the creature probably held it between its shoulders while in flight, just like modern

s do. The arrangement of its bony serrations is characteristic for this genus: one small "tooth", flanked by small points or even smaller "teeth", is placed between each pair of large ones. However, the "tooth" pattern of pseudotooth birds changed along the length of the beak, and is not considered a very reliable way to distinguish

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. In general lifestyle, it was probably most similar to the

es,

tropicbird Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicates they are most cl ...

s and

frigatebird Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...

s of today, with long slender wings adapted for

soaring Soaring may refer to: * Gliding, in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes * Lift (soaring), a meteorological phenomenon used as an energy source by some aircraft and birds * ''Soaring'' (magazine), a magazine produced ...

vast distances over the open seas. Due to its size, the bird is presumed to have been an excellently

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

dynamic soarer. It probably built its

nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materia ...

on high

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

s or similar places, where it could easily take flight by simply walking into the wind with wings spread. It was a seabird that apparently lived mainly off

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

and other soft-bodied prey; the "teeth" were less saw-like than the horny serrations on the beak of the fish-eating saw-billed ducks (

Merginae The sea ducks (''Mergini'') are a tribe of the duck subfamily of birds, the Anatinae. The taxonomy of this group is incomplete. Some authorities separate the group as a subfamily, while others remove some genera. Most species within the group sp ...

), pointing straight downwards instead and in the fossils often very abraded or broken. The downward-pointing "teeth" were ideal for digging into and holding slippery, soft-skinned

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or wa ...

animals such as

cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head ...

s that were probably snatched out of the water in flight or while swimming. Lightly built as it was, ''O. orri'' was probably not a good diver and may have found it impossible to dive at all. ''Osteodontornis'' is one of the pseudotooth birds of which rather comprehensive remains are known, but the lack of good fossils of most other Odontopterygiformes allows for few direct comparisons between genera. Still, the

distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

of the present genus (e.g. the

Barstovian The Barstovian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 16,300,000 to 13,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usua ...

specimen

LACM The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States. Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large coll ...

50660 from

Kern County, California Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County comprise ...

) can be compared to that of a smaller and older fossil tentatively assigned to ''

Odontopteryx ''Odontopteryx'' is a genus of the extinct pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids. 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 u ...

''. ''Osteodontornis'' has a wider and deeper notch between the external

condyle A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

species. Its

differed from that of '' Odontopteryx toliapica'' in a more narrowly grooved

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal co ...

head, and a larger and less forward-pointing

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...

al process. The forward center of the

ventral Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek language, Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. Th ...

articulation ridge extends upwards and forward, and the

pterygoid process The pterygoid processes of the sphenoid (from Greek ''pteryx'', ''pterygos'', "wing"), one on either side, descend perpendicularly from the regions where the body and the greater wings of the sphenoid bone unite. Each process consists of a medi ...

is conspicuously expanded to the upper center in ''Osteodontornis''. The socket for the

quadratojugal The quadratojugal is a skull bone present in many vertebrates, including some living reptiles and amphibians. Anatomy and function In animals with a quadratojugal bone, it is typically found connected to the jugal (cheek) bone from the front and ...

has an intermediate position and the

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction *Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle *Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral cons ...

ridge of the slender main shaft is straight and fairly thin. The quadrate of the mysterious '' Pseudodontornis longirostris'' skull (which some consider to belong in ''

Pelagornis ''Pelagornis'' is a widespread genus of prehistoric pseudotooth birds. 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 uncertain ...

'') is not very well preserved; it agees with ''Odontopteryx'' in a broad main shaft and with ''Osteodontornis'' in the straight main shaft ridge and its upward-directed ventral articulation ridge's forward center. Otherwise, it differs from both.

Distribution

This

is well documented from various locations of generally

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

age, although usually by much fragmented remains due to the thin and tender bones it had. Most importantly, it was found on both sides of the

North Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. It is not certain whether all ''Osteodontornis'' remains belong to a single species; size differences suggest that some

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

took place during the timespan in which the

existed. Thus, some fossils are referred to ''Osteodontornis'' only, without further assigning them to this species. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

of ''O. orri'', SBMNH 309, is a rather comprehensive fossil preserved mostly as imprint, with some bone pieces and even feather impressions in addition; it was found in

(

)

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

(USA). Subsequently, for example in the

(

Middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma to 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma (million y ...

) Round Mountain Silt or in Late Miocene deposits of the

Monterey Formation The Monterey Formation is an extensive Miocene oil-rich geological sedimentary formation in California, with outcrops of the formation in parts of the California Coast Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and on some of California's off-shore islands ...

, quite a few additional specimens dating from about the same time were found in California. Roughly contemporary specimens were described from the Haranoyan-Tozawan boundary in Japan – a complete right

( NSM PV-18696) from the Middle Miocene Nagura Formation at

Chichibu, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unli ...

, an

right

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth, teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movabl ...

piece (Mizunami Fossil Museum (MFM) 28351) found in the Oi Formation at

Misato, Mie was a village located in Age District, Mie Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 4,164 and a density of 82.77 persons per km². The total area was 50.31 km². On January 1, 2006, Misato, along with the city of ...

, and some additional material of about the same age from the Mizunami Group at

Mizunami, Gifu Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_">Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_ _is_a_Cities_of_Japan">city_located_in_G ...

. From the Early Miocene

Nye Formation The Nye Formation is a geologic formation in Oregon. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Oregon * Paleontology in Oregon The location of the state of Oregon Paleont ...

and the

Astoria Formations of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

a handful of specimens that appear to be ''Osteodontornis'' are known. Similar fossils have been found in the Middle Miocene apadare_Formation_of_Venezuela_and_from_the_Late_Miocene_of_the_Pisco_Formation.html" ;"title="Venezuela.html" ;"title="apadare Formation of Venezuela">apadare Formation of Venezuela and from the Late Miocene of the Pisco Formation">Venezuela.html" ;"title="apadare Formation of Venezuela">apadare Formation of Venezuela and from the Late Miocene of the Pisco Formation of Peru; they might rather be of a distinct but closely related genus, and it must be remembered that at that their time the Isthmus of Panama had not been formed yet so that an affiliation with the Atlantic ''

'' cannot be discounted. The former, specimen MBLUZ-P-5093 from Cueva del Zumbador in

Falcón State ) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_mapsiz ...

, is a

premaxilla The premaxilla (or praemaxilla) is one of a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the upper jaw of many animals, usually, but not always, bearing teeth. In humans, they are fused with the maxilla. The "premaxilla" of therian mammal has b ...

tip of immense dimensions; its bearer might have exceeded a wingspan of in life. Though some of the Miocene North American material was initially (and sometimes is still) assigned to ''Pelagornis'', recent authors generally place them in the present genus. Some wing bone fossils from the Eo-

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

boundary of

(United States), though assigned to ''Argillornis'' (= ''

Dasornis ''Dasornis'' is a genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. 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. Alm ...

''), do not differ much from those of ''Osteodontornis'' (as far as can be told in their fragmented state), and may be from an older relative. They are the oldest known remains of large North Pacific pseudotooth birds, but if the enigmatic ''

'' from the same region dates back to the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

they may well be assignable to that

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

, whatever their systematic affiliations might be beyond that. As few directly comparable bones of sufficient quality exist, the relationship of ''Osteodontornis'' to other pseudotooth birds is not completely resolved. As noted above, the entire genus (regardless of how many species can be recognized) may be a

of ''Cyphornis''. Generally, recent authors have tended to place large

Neogene The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...

pseudotooth bird fossils from the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

in ''Pelagornis'', and those from the North Pacific in ''Osteodontornis''. It remains to be seen if this east–west division can be upheld, but

biogeographical Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, i ...

ly it seems quite sensible at least as a

working hypothesis A working hypothesis is a hypothesis that is provisionally accepted as a basis for further ongoing research in the hope that a tenable theory will be produced, even if the hypothesis ultimately fails.See in "hypothesis", ''Century Dictionary Suppl ...

until sufficient well-preserved material has been found to make an in-depth study. It is less clear what to make of the Southern Hemisphere pseudotooth birds fossils, none of which are complete enough for more than the most tentative identification. Many

s of our time, such as

es and other

, show a

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

division between Northern and Southern Hemisphere lineages, separated by the Equatorial currents. Whether this also held true in the warmer climate of the

is not known, but the general phylogenetic patterns found in Procellariiformes suggests that the north–south division is rather ancient and

evolved Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation t ...

even before the Miocene. From the Neogene of New Zealand '' "Pseudodontornis" stirtoni'' has been described, which unlike the rest of its (doubtfully valid) genus is not from the Paleogene Atlantic region. It has been proposed as a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus ''Neodontornis'', but this has not been widely accepted. It may be valid still, as the bones are of a rather small pseudotooth bird; though apparently too small for ''Osteodontornis'' detailed comparisons could be insightful. Its

jugal The jugal is a skull bone found in most reptiles, amphibians and birds. In mammals, the jugal is often called the malar or zygomatic. It is connected to the quadratojugal and maxilla, as well as other bones, which may vary by species. Anatomy ...

arch is indeed short and very stout behind the

al process of the

prefrontal bone The prefrontal bone is a bone separating the lacrimal and frontal bones in many tetrapod skulls. It first evolved in the sarcopterygian clade Rhipidistia, which includes lungfish and the Tetrapodomorpha. The prefrontal is found in most modern and ...

, like in ''Osteodontornis'' but apparently unlike in the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

of its supposed genus, ''P. longirostris''. A larger

proximal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

(initially misidentified as

) humerus piece ( CMNZ AV 24,960), probably from the

Waiauan While also using the international geologic time scale, many nations–especially those with isolated and therefore non-standard prehistories–use their own systems of dividing geologic time into epochs and faunal stages. In New Zealand, these epo ...

(Middle/Late Miocene) and found near the Waipara River mouth, is little if any distinct from ''O. orri'' in shape and size; it has a flange at the side and is less straight, but whether these features are natural or due to the damaged state of the specimens is unclear. It also agrees more with ''Pelagornis'' than with Paleogene remains from Oregon mentioned above. A distal left humerus end and some wing bone fragments from the

Late Oligocene The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest stage ...

Yamaga Formation of

Kitakyūshū is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of ...

(Japan) might be the oldest remains of an ''Osteodontornis'', but their assignment to the present genus is just as uncertain as in the case of the New Zealand fossil. Also from Japan are one or two of the youngest pseudodontorn fossils – a fragmentary right humerus from the

Early Pliocene Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early ...

Yushima Formation The Yushima Formation, also known as the Tatsunokuchi Formation, is a palaeontological formation located in Japan. It dates to the Lower Pliocene period. See also * List of fossil sites This list of fossil sites is a worldwide list of lo ...

at Maesawa, and probably also a distal right

femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...

(MFM 1801) from the

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 ...

Dainichi Formation The Dainichi Formation is a paleontology, palaeontological formation located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka, Japan. The formation is part of the Kakegawa Group. It dates to the Upper Pliocene period. The shell beds in the Dainichi formation con ...

Kakegawa is a city in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 117,925 in 45,519 households. The total area of the city is . Geography Kakegawa is in the coastal plains of southwest Shizuoka Prefecture. It is border ...

that was initially believed to be from an albatross. These might represent the last survivors of ''Osteodontornis'' – the Kakegawa fossil at least is a good match in size –, but require more study before they can be assigned there.Scarlett (1972), Olson (1985: pp.198–199), Goedert (1989), Ono (1980, 1989), Matsuoka et al. (1998), González-Barba et al. (2002), Mlíkovský (2002: p.84), Mayr (2008, 2009: p.58)

Footnotes

References

* (1987): Neogene avian localities of North America. ''Smithsonian Research Monographs'' 1. Prentice Hall & IBD. * (2007): El registro de Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) y la Avifauna Neógena del Pacífico Sudeste he record of Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) and the Neogene avifauna of the southeast Pacific ''Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Études Andines'' 36(2): 175–197 panish with French and English abstractsbr>PDF fulltext
* (1989): Giant Late Eocene Marine Birds (Pelecaniformes: Pelagornithidae) from Northwestern Oregon. '' J. Paleontol.'' 63(6): 939–944
Abstract and first page text
* (2002): Earliest Pacific Basin record of the Pelagornithidae (Aves, Pelecaniformes). '' J. Vertebr. Paleontol.'' 22(2): 722–725. DOI:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022 722:EPBROT.0.CO;2HTML abstract
* (1964): ''Pseudodontornis'' and other large marine birds from the Miocene of South Carolina. ''Postilla'' 83: 1–19
Fulltext
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

* (1957): A gigantic "toothed" marine bird from the Miocene of California. ''Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Bulletin (Geology Department)'' 1: 1–23. * (1998): A Miocene pseudodontorn (Pelecaniformes: Pelagornithidae) from the Ichishi Group of Misato, Mie Prefecture, Central Japan. ''Paleontological Research'' 2(4): 246–252
PDF fulltext
* (2008): A skull of the giant bony-toothed bird Dasornis (Aves: Pelagornithidae) from the Lower Eocene of the Isle of Sheppey. ''

Palaeontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

'' 51(5): 1107–1116. (HTML abstract) * (2009): ''Paleogene Fossil Birds''. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg & New York. * (2008): A sternum of a very large bony-toothed bird (Pelagornithidae) from the Miocene of Portugal. '' J. Vertebr. Paleontol.'' 28(3): 762–769. DOI:10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28 62:ASOAVL.0.CO;2HTML abstract
* (2002): ''Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe''. Ninox Press, Prague. PDF fulltext
!-- This should be treated with extreme caution as regards merging of species. Splits are usually good though. See also critical review in Auk121:623-627 here http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3793/is_200404/ai_n9396879 --> * (2008)
Panama: Isthmus that Changed the World
Version of 2008-SEP-22. Retrieved 2009-SEP-24. *

009 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9 * ...

br>Paleobiology Collections Search
Version of 2009-AUG-07. Retrieved 2009-AUG-22. * (1998): Body Size Effects and Rates of Cytochrome ''b'' Evolution in Tube-Nosed Seabirds. ''Molecular Biology and Evolution'' 15(10): 1360–137
PDF fulltextCorrigendum
* (1985): The Fossil Record of Birds. ''In:'' : ''Avian Biology'' 8: 79–252
PDF fulltext
* (1980): Pliocene Tubinare Bird from Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. ''Memoirs of the National Science Museum'' 13(1): 29–34, plate 2 apanese with English abstractbr>PDF fulltext
* (1989): A Bony-Toothed Bird from the Middle Miocene, Chichibu Basin, Japan. ''Bulletin of the National Science Museum Series C: Geology & Paleontology'' 15(1): 33–38
PDF fulltext
* (1991): Discovery of five Miocene birds from Chichibu Basin, central Japan. ''Bulletin of the Saitama Museum of Natural History'' 9: 41–49 apanese with English abstractbr>HTML abstract
* (1999): ''The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals''. Marshall Editions, London. * (1976): Fossil Marine Mammals of Oregon. ''Systematic Zoology'' 25(4): 420–436. Abstract and first page image
* (2003): Primer registro de la familia Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) para Venezuela irst record of Pelagornithidae family from Venezuela ''Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología'' 37: 27–30 panish with English abstractbr>PDF fulltext
* (1972): Bone of a presumed odontopterygian bird from the Miocene of New Zealand. ''New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics'' 15(2): 269–274
Fulltext
at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...

* (2004): New skull material of ''Osteodontornis orri'' (Aves: Pelagornithidae) from the Miocene of California. ''PaleoBios (Berkeley)'' 24(1): 7–1
HTML abstract
* (2009): 2009 GSA Geologic Time Scale . ''

GSA Today The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

'' 19(4): 60–61. PDF fulltext

External links

University of Kyoto , mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture , established = , type = Public (National) , endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 billion USD) , faculty = 3,480 (Teaching Staff) , administrative_staff = 3,978 (Total Staff) , students = 22 ...

Photo
of specimen MFM 28351. Retrieved 2009-AUG-20. *

Flickr Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...

Photo
of Round Mountain Silt jaw specimens at Buena Vista Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. *

Photo
of Astoria Formation arm specimen NMNH PAL 335794 and Nye Formation vertebrae specimen NMNH PAL 335621 at National Museum of Natural History (mislabeled as ''

''). Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. *

Photo
of holotype specimen (SBMNH 309) slab (with bone fragments) at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. *

Photo
of SBMNH 309 counterslab (with bone impressions) at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. *

Another photo
of SBMNH 309 counterslab at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. * California Mediterranean Research Learning Center

of a jaw specimen embedded in

matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...

. Retrieved 2009-AUG-21. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1068980 Bird genera Pelagornithidae Miocene birds Miocene birds of North America Fossil taxa described in 1957 Taxa named by Hildegarde Howard