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{{Short description|Extinct genus of birds}}
{{redirect|Hargeria|text=This is also an (invalid) name of a genus of [[tanaidacea]]n [[crustacean]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Leptocheliidae]]}}
{{redirect|Hargeria|text=This is also an (invalid) name of a genus of [[tanaidacea]]n [[crustacean]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Leptocheliidae]]}}
{{Distinguish|Hesperornithoides}}
{{Distinguish|Hesperornithoides}}
{{Automatic taxobox
{{Automatic taxobox
|fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]], {{Fossil range|83.5|78}}
|fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]] ([[Campanian]]), {{Fossil range|83.6|72}}<small>Possible early [[Maastrichtian]] record</small>
|image = Hesperornis regalis (1).jpg
|image = Hesperornis at AMNH.jpg
|image_caption = Restored skeleton of ''H. regalis''
|image_caption = Restored skeleton of ''H. regalis'' in diving posture at the [[American Museum of Natural History]]
|image2 = Hesperornis BW (white background).jpg
|image2_caption = Life reconstruction of ''H. regalis'' in diving posture
|taxon = Hesperornis
|taxon = Hesperornis
|authority = [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]], 1872
|authority = [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]], 1872
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{{extinct}}'''''H. macdonaldi''''' <small>Martin & Lim, 2002</small><br/>
{{extinct}}'''''H. macdonaldi''''' <small>Martin & Lim, 2002</small><br/>
{{extinct}}'''''H. mengeli''''' <small>Martin & Lim, 2002</small><br/>
{{extinct}}'''''H. mengeli''''' <small>Martin & Lim, 2002</small><br/>
{{extinct}}'''''H. lumgairi''''' <small>Aotsuka & Sato, 2016</small>
{{extinct}}'''''H. lumgairi''''' <small>Aotsuka & Sato, 2016 (in press)</small> <ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Keiichi Aotsuka |author2=Tamaki Sato |year=2016 |title=Hesperornithiformes (Aves: Ornithurae) from the Upper Cretaceous Pierre Shale, Southern Manitoba, Canada |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=in press |issue= |pages= 154–169|doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2016.03.003 }}</ref>
| synonyms =
| synonyms =
''Lestornis'' <small>Marsh, 1876</small><br/>
''Lestornis'' <small>Marsh, 1876</small><br/>
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}}
}}


'''''Hesperornis''''' (meaning "western bird") is a [[genus]] of cormorant-like bird that spanned the first half of the [[Campanian]] age of the [[Late Cretaceous]] period (83.5–78 [[mya (unit)|mya]]). One of the lesser-known discoveries of the paleontologist [[Othniel Charles Marsh|O. C. Marsh]] in the late 19th century [[Bone Wars]], it was an early find in the history of avian paleontology. Locations for ''Hesperornis'' fossils include the Late Cretaceous marine [[limestone]]s from [[Kansas]] and the marine shales from [[Canada]]. Nine species are recognised, eight of which have been recovered from rocks in North America and one from Russia.
'''''Hesperornis''''' (meaning "western bird") is a [[genus]] of cormorant-like Ornithuran that spanned throughout the [[Campanian]] age, and possibly even up to the early [[Maastrichtian]] age, of the [[Late Cretaceous]] period.<ref name=Bell15>{{cite journal|author1=Alyssa Bell|author2=Kelly J. Irwin|author3=Leo Carson Davis|year=2015|title=Hesperornithiform birds from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of Arkansas, USA|journal=Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science|volume=118|issue=3–4|pages=219–229|doi=10.1660/062.118.0305|jstor=24887762|s2cid=83921936 }}</ref><ref name=Hills99/> One of the lesser-known discoveries of the paleontologist [[Othniel Charles Marsh|O. C. Marsh]] in the late 19th century [[Bone Wars]], it was an early find in the history of avian paleontology. Locations for ''Hesperornis'' fossils include the Late Cretaceous marine [[limestone]]s from [[Kansas]] and the marine shales from [[Canada]]. Nine species are recognised, eight of which have been recovered from rocks in North America and one from Russia.


==Description==
==Description==
[[Image:Hesperornis BW.jpg|thumb|left|Life restoration by Nobu Tamura, 2011.]]
[[Image:Hesperornis.png|thumb|left|[[Life restoration]]]]
''Hesperornis'' was a large bird, reaching up to {{convert|1.8|m|ft}} in length.<ref name = Perrins/> It had virtually no wings, and swam with its powerful hind legs. Studies on the feet initially indicated that ''Hesperornis'' and kin had lobed toes similar to modern-day [[grebe]]s, as opposed to webbed toes as seen in most aquatic birds such as [[loon]]s. <ref name="Stolpe1935>{{cite journal |last1=Stolpe"> |first1=M |title=Colymbus, Hesperornis, Podiceps: ein Vergleich ihrer hinteren extremitat |journal=Journal fur Ornithologie |date=1935 |volume=83 |page=115–128}}</ref> More recent work looking at the morphometrics of the feet in hesperornithiformes and modern sea birds has thrown this interpretation into question, making webbed toes equally as likely as lobed toes for this group. <ref name="Bell2019">{{cite journal |last1=Bell |first1=Alyssa |last2=Wu |first2=Yun-Hsin |last3=Chiappe |first3=Luis |title=Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |date=2019 |volume=513 |page=196–207}}</ref>
''Hesperornis'' was a large bird, reaching up to {{convert|1.8|m|ft}} in length.<ref name = Perrins/> It had virtually no wings, and swam with its powerful hind legs. Studies on the feet initially indicated that ''Hesperornis'' and kin had lobed toes similar to modern-day [[grebe]]s, as opposed to webbed toes as seen in most aquatic birds such as [[loon]]s.<ref name="Stolpe1935">{{cite journal |last1=Stolpe |first1=M |title=Colymbus, Hesperornis, Podiceps: ein Vergleich ihrer hinteren extremitat |journal=Journal für Ornithologie |date=1935 |volume=83 |pages=115–128|doi=10.1007/BF01908745 |s2cid=11147804 }}</ref> More recent work looking at the morphometrics of the feet in hesperornithiformes and modern sea birds has thrown this interpretation into question, making webbed toes equally as likely as lobed toes for this group.<ref name="Bell2019">{{cite journal |last1=Bell |first1=Alyssa |last2=Wu |first2=Yun-Hsin |last3=Chiappe |first3=Luis |title=Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |date=2019 |volume=513 |pages=196–207|doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.010 |bibcode=2019PPP...513..196B |s2cid=133964417 }}</ref>


Like many other [[Mesozoic]] birds such as ''[[Ichthyornis]]'', ''Hesperornis'' had [[teeth]] as well as a [[beak]], which were used to hold prey.{{Citation needed}} In the hesperornithiform lineage they were of a different arrangement than in any other known bird (or in non-avian [[theropod]] dinosaurs), with the teeth sitting in a longitudinal groove rather than in individual sockets, in a notable case of [[convergent evolution]] with [[mosasaur]]s.<ref name=marsh1880/><ref name=Gregory/> The teeth of ''Hesperornis'' were present along nearly the entire lower jaw (dentary) and the back of the upper jaw ([[maxilla]]). The front portion of the upper jaw ([[premaxilla]]) and tip of the lower jaw (predentary) lacked teeth and were probably covered in a beak. Studies of the bone surface show that at least the tips of the jaws supported a hard, [[keratin]]ous beak similar to that found in modern birds.<ref name=heironymus2010/> The palate (mouth roof) contained small pits that allowed the lower teeth to lock into place when the jaws were closed.<ref name=elzanowski1991/> They also retained a dinosaur-like joint between the lower jaw bones. It is believed that this allowed them to rotate the back portion of the mandible independently of the front, thus allowing the lower teeth to disengage.<ref name=Perrins/>
Like many other [[Mesozoic]] birds such as ''[[Ichthyornis]]'', ''Hesperornis'' had [[teeth]] as well as a [[beak]]. In the hesperornithiform lineage they were of a different arrangement than in any other known bird (or in non-avian [[theropod]] dinosaurs), with the teeth sitting in a longitudinal groove rather than in individual sockets, in a notable case of [[convergent evolution]] with [[mosasaur]]s.<ref name=marsh1880/><ref name=Gregory/> The teeth of ''Hesperornis'' were present along nearly the entire lower jaw (dentary) and the back of the upper jaw ([[maxilla]]). The front portion of the upper jaw ([[premaxilla]]) and tip of the lower jaw (predentary) lacked teeth and were probably covered in a beak. Studies of the bone surface show that at least the tips of the jaws supported a hard, [[keratin]]ous beak similar to that found in modern birds.<ref name=heironymus2010/> The palate (mouth roof) contained small pits that allowed the lower teeth to lock into place when the jaws were closed.<ref name=elzanowski1991/> They also retained a dinosaur-like joint between the lower jaw bones. It is believed that this allowed them to rotate the back portion of the mandible independently of the front, thus allowing the lower teeth to disengage.<ref name=Perrins/>


==History==
==History==
[[Image:Hesperornis Regalis - Project Gutenberg eText 16474.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Marsh's now-obsolete 1880 reconstruction of ''H. regalis''.]]
[[Image:Hesperornis Regalis - Project Gutenberg eText 16474.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Marsh's now-obsolete 1880 reconstruction of ''H. regalis'']]


The first ''Hesperornis'' specimen was discovered in 1871 by [[Othniel Charles Marsh]]. Marsh was undertaking his second western expedition, accompanied by ten students.<ref>Thomson, 191.</ref> The team headed to Kansas where Marsh had dug before. Aside from finding more bones belonging to the flying reptile ''[[Pteranodon]]'', Marsh discovered the skeleton of a "large fossil bird, at least five feet in height". The specimen was large, wingless, and had strong legs—Marsh considered it a diving species. Unfortunately, the specimen lacked a head.<ref>Thomson, 193.</ref> Marsh named the find ''Hesperornis regalis'', or "regal western bird".<ref name="Holtz2008">Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2011) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,'' [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/HoltzappendixWinter2010.pdf Winter 2010 Appendix.]</ref>
The first ''Hesperornis'' specimen was discovered in 1871 by [[Othniel Charles Marsh]]. Marsh was undertaking his second western expedition, accompanied by ten students.<ref>Thomson, 191.</ref> The team headed to Kansas where Marsh had dug before. Aside from finding more bones belonging to the flying reptile ''[[Pteranodon]]'', Marsh discovered the skeleton of a "large fossil bird, at least five feet in height". The specimen was large, wingless, and had strong legs—Marsh considered it a diving species. Unfortunately, the specimen lacked a head.<ref>Thomson, 193.</ref> Marsh named the find ''Hesperornis regalis'', or "regal western bird".<ref name="Holtz2008">Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2011) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,'' [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/HoltzappendixWinter2010.pdf Winter 2010 Appendix.]</ref>


Marsh headed back west with a smaller party the following year. In western Kansas, one of Marsh's four students, Thomas H. Russell, discovered a "nearly perfect skeleton" of ''Hesperornis.''<ref>Charles Schuchert and Clara Mae LeVene, ''O.C. Marsh: Pioneer in Paleontology'', p. 427. New York: Arno Press, 1978. Later, Russell assisted Marsh while attending medical school; he became a surgeon, professor of Clinical Surgery in the Yale School of Medicine, and Marsh's personal physician until Marsh's death in 1899. See ''Proceedings of the Connecticut State Medical Society'' (Google eBook) and ''Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation.'' Editorial staff: [[William Richard Cutter]], Edward Henry Clement, Samuel Hart, Mary Kingsbury Talcott, Frederick Bostwick, Ezra Scollay Stearns. Volume I (of 4). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911.</ref> This specimen had enough of its head intact that Marsh could see that the creature's jaws had been lined with teeth.<ref name="wallace-86">Wallace, 86.</ref> Marsh saw important evolutionary implications of this find, along with [[Benjamin Mudge]]'s find of the toothed bird ''[[Ichthyornis]]''.<ref>Thomson, 226.</ref> In an 1873 paper Marsh declared that "the fortunate discovery of these interesting fossils does much to break down the old distinction between Birds and Reptiles".<ref name="wallace-86"/> Meanwhile, Marsh's relationship with his rival [[Edward Drinker Cope]] soured further after Cope accidentally received boxes of fossils, including the toothed birds, that were meant for Marsh. Cope called the birds "simply delightful", but Marsh replied with accusations Cope had stolen the bones.<ref>Wallace, 87.</ref> By 1873 their friendship dissolved into open hostility, helping to spark the [[Bone Wars]]. While Marsh would rarely go into the field after 1873, the collectors he paid continued to send him a stream of fossils. He eventually received parts of 50 specimens of ''Hesperornis'', which allowed him to make a much stronger demonstration of an evolutionary link between reptiles and birds than had been possible before.<ref>Wallace, 132.</ref>
Marsh headed back west with a smaller party the following year. In western Kansas, one of Marsh's four students, Thomas H. Russell, discovered a "nearly perfect skeleton" of ''Hesperornis.''<ref>Charles Schuchert and Clara Mae LeVene, ''O.C. Marsh: Pioneer in Paleontology'', p. 427. New York: Arno Press, 1978. Later, Russell assisted Marsh while attending medical school; he became a surgeon, professor of Clinical Surgery in the [[Yale School of Medicine]], and Marsh's personal physician until Marsh's death in 1899. See ''Proceedings of the Connecticut State Medical Society'' (Google eBook) and ''Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation.'' Editorial staff: [[William Richard Cutter]], Edward Henry Clement, Samuel Hart, Mary Kingsbury Talcott, Frederick Bostwick, Ezra Scollay Stearns. Volume I (of 4). New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911.</ref> This specimen had enough of its head intact that Marsh could see that the creature's jaws had been lined with teeth.<ref name="wallace-86">Wallace, 86.</ref> Marsh saw important evolutionary implications of this find, along with [[Benjamin Mudge]]'s find of the toothed bird ''[[Ichthyornis]]''.<ref>Thomson, 226.</ref> In an 1873 paper Marsh declared that "the fortunate discovery of these interesting fossils does much to break down the old distinction between Birds and Reptiles".<ref name="wallace-86"/> Meanwhile, Marsh's relationship with his rival [[Edward Drinker Cope]] soured further after Cope accidentally received boxes of fossils, including the toothed birds, that were meant for Marsh. Cope called the birds "simply delightful", but Marsh replied with accusations Cope had stolen the bones.<ref>Wallace, 87.</ref> By 1873 their friendship dissolved into open hostility, helping to spark the [[Bone Wars]]. While Marsh would rarely go into the field after 1873, the collectors he paid continued to send him a stream of fossils. He eventually received parts of 50 specimens of ''Hesperornis'', which allowed him to make a much stronger demonstration of an evolutionary link between reptiles and birds than had been possible before.<ref>Wallace, 132.</ref>


==Classification and Species==
==Classification and Species==
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Many [[species]] have been described in this genus, though some are known from very few bones or even a single bone and cannot be properly compared with the more plentiful (but also incomplete) remains of other similar-sized [[taxa]]. In many cases, species have been separated by provenance, having been found in strata of different ages or in different locations, or by differences in size.
Many [[species]] have been described in this genus, though some are known from very few bones or even a single bone and cannot be properly compared with the more plentiful (but also incomplete) remains of other similar-sized [[taxa]]. In many cases, species have been separated by provenance, having been found in strata of different ages or in different locations, or by differences in size.


The first species to be described, the [[type species]], is ''Hesperornis regalis''. ''H. regalis'' is also the best known species, and dozens of specimens (from fragments to more complete skeletons) have been recovered, all from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the [[Niobrara Formation]] (dating to the early [[Campanian]] age, between 90–60 million years ago).<ref name=carpenter2003/> It is the only species of ''Hesperornis'' for which a nearly complete skull is known.
The first species to be described, the [[type species]], is ''Hesperornis regalis''. ''H. regalis'' is also the best known species, and dozens of specimens (from fragments to more complete skeletons) have been recovered, all from the [[Smoky Hill Chalk Member]] of the [[Niobrara Formation]] (dating to the early [[Campanian]] age, between 90 and 60 million years ago).<ref name=carpenter2003/> It is the only species of ''Hesperornis'' for which a nearly complete skull is known.


''Hesperornis crassipes'' was named in 1876 by Marsh, who initially classified it in a different genus as ''Lestornis crassipes''. ''H. crassipes'' was larger than ''H. regalis'', had five ribs as opposed to four in the first species, and differed in aspects of the bone sculpturing on the breastbone and lower leg. ''H. crassipes'' is known from the same time and place as ''H. regalis''. One incomplete skeleton is known, including teeth and parts of the skull.<ref name=marsh1876/>
''Hesperornis crassipes'' was named in 1876 by Marsh, who initially classified it in a different genus as ''Lestornis crassipes''. ''H. crassipes'' was larger than ''H. regalis'', had five ribs as opposed to four in the first species, and differed in aspects of the bone sculpturing on the breastbone and lower leg. ''H. crassipes'' is known from the same time and place as ''H. regalis''. One incomplete skeleton is known, including teeth and parts of the skull.<ref name=marsh1876/>
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In 2002, Martin and Lim formally recognized several new species for remains that had previously been unstudied or referred without consideration to previously named North American hesperornithines. These include the very small ''H. mengeli'' and ''H. macdonaldi'', the slightly larger ''H. bairdi'', and the very large ''H. chowi'', all from the Sharon Springs member of the [[Pierre Shale]] Formation in South Dakota and Alberta, 80.5 million years ago.<ref name=martinlim2002/>
In 2002, Martin and Lim formally recognized several new species for remains that had previously been unstudied or referred without consideration to previously named North American hesperornithines. These include the very small ''H. mengeli'' and ''H. macdonaldi'', the slightly larger ''H. bairdi'', and the very large ''H. chowi'', all from the Sharon Springs member of the [[Pierre Shale]] Formation in South Dakota and Alberta, 80.5 million years ago.<ref name=martinlim2002/>


In addition, there are some unassigned remains, such as [[Geological Survey of Sweden|SGU]] 3442 Ve02 and [[Lund University|LO]] 9067t and bones of an undetermined species from [[Tzimlyanskoe Reservoir]] near [[Rostov]]. The former two bones are probably ''H. rossicus''; some remains assigned to that species in turn seem to belong to the latter undetermined taxon.<ref name=ReesLindgren />
In addition, there are some unassigned remains, such as [[Geological Survey of Sweden|SGU]] 3442 Ve02 and [[Lund University|LO]] 9067t and bones of an undetermined species from [[Tzimlyanskoe Reservoir]] near [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]]. The former two bones are probably ''H. rossicus''; some remains assigned to that species in turn seem to belong to the latter undetermined taxon.<ref name=ReesLindgren /> It is also suggested that ''Hesperornis'' likely lived throughout the Campanian age based on remains found on middle to late Campanian age rocks,<ref name=Bell15/> and possibly even up to the early [[Maastrichtian]] age.<ref name=Hills99/>


==Paleobiology==
==Paleobiology==
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''Hesperornis'' was primarily marine, and lived in the waters of such contemporary shallow [[shelf sea]]s as the [[Western Interior Seaway]], the [[Turgai Strait]], and the [[North Sea]],<ref name=ReesLindgren/><ref name=Hills99 /> which then were [[subtropical]] to [[tropical]] waters, much warmer than today. However, some of the youngest known specimens of ''Hesperornis'' have been found in inland freshwater deposits of the [[Foremost Formation]], suggesting that some species of ''Hesperornis'' may have eventually moved, at least partially, away from a primarily marine habitat. Additionally, the species ''H. altus'' comes from the freshwater deposits at the base of the [[Judith River Formation]].<ref name=fox1974/>
''Hesperornis'' was primarily marine, and lived in the waters of such contemporary shallow [[shelf sea]]s as the [[Western Interior Seaway]], the [[Turgai Strait]], and the [[North Sea]],<ref name=ReesLindgren/><ref name=Hills99 /> which then were [[subtropical]] to [[tropical]] waters, much warmer than today. However, some of the youngest known specimens of ''Hesperornis'' have been found in inland freshwater deposits of the [[Foremost Formation]], suggesting that some species of ''Hesperornis'' may have eventually moved, at least partially, away from a primarily marine habitat. Additionally, the species ''H. altus'' comes from the freshwater deposits at the base of the [[Judith River Formation]].<ref name=fox1974/>


Tions and hip structure has borne out this comparison. In terms of limb length, shape of the hip bones, and position of the hip socket, ''Hesperornis'' is particularly similar to the [[common loon]] (''Gavia immer''), probably exhibiting a very similar manner of locomotion on land and in water. Like loons, ''Hesperornis'' were probably excellent foot-propelled divers, but might have been ungainly on land.<ref name=hesperornisdivingbirds /> Like loons, the legs were probably encased inside the body wall up to the ankle, causing the feet to jut out to the sides near the tail. This would have prevented them from bringing the legs underneath the body to stand, or under the center of gravity to walk. Instead, they likely moved on land by pushing themselves along on their bellies, like modern seals.<ref name=Brodavis/> However, more recent studies on hesperornithean hindlimbs suggest they were more functionally similar to those of the still upright walking [[cormorant]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.010|title = Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds|journal = Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology|volume = 513|pages = 196–207|year = 2019|last1 = Bell|first1 = Alyssa|last2 = Wu|first2 = Yun-Hsin|last3 = Chiappe|first3 = Luis M.|bibcode = 2019PPP...513..196B}}</ref>
Traditionally, ''Hesperornis'' is depicted with a mode of locomotion similar to modern loons or grebes, and study of their limb proportions and hip structure has borne out this comparison. In terms of limb length, shape of the hip bones, and position of the hip socket, ''Hesperornis'' is particularly similar to the [[common loon]] (''Gavia immer''), probably exhibiting a very similar manner of locomotion on land and in water. Like loons, ''Hesperornis'' were probably excellent foot-propelled divers, but might have been ungainly on land.<ref name=hesperornisdivingbirds /> Like loons, the legs were probably encased inside the body wall up to the ankle, causing the feet to jut out to the sides near the tail. This would have prevented them from bringing the legs underneath the body to stand, or under the center of gravity to walk. Instead, they likely moved on land by pushing themselves along on their bellies, like modern seals.<ref name=Brodavis/> However, more recent studies on hesperornithean hindlimbs suggest they were more functionally similar to those of the still upright walking [[cormorant]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.010|title = Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds|journal = Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology|volume = 513|pages = 196–207|year = 2019|last1 = Bell|first1 = Alyssa|last2 = Wu|first2 = Yun-Hsin|last3 = Chiappe|first3 = Luis M.|bibcode = 2019PPP...513..196B|s2cid = 133964417}}</ref>


Young ''Hesperornis'' grew fairly quickly and continuously to adulthood, as is the case in modern birds, but not [[Enantiornithes]].<ref name=Chinsamy98 />
Young ''Hesperornis'' grew fairly quickly and continuously to adulthood, as is the case in modern birds, but not [[Enantiornithes]].<ref name=Chinsamy98 />


===Pathology===
===Pathology===
A ''Hesperornis'' leg bone uncovered in the 1960s was examined by David Burnham, Bruce Rothschild et al. and was found to bear bite marks from a young [[polycotylid]] plesiosaur (possibly a ''[[Dolichorhynchops]]'' or something similar). The ''Hesperornis's'' bone, specifically the condyle, shows signs of infection, indicating the bird survived the initial attack and escaped the predator. The discovery was published in the journal ''Cretaceous Research'' in 2016.<ref>http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160311-how-a-bird-managed-to-escape-a-predatory-sea-monster?ocid=ww.social.link.facebook</ref>
A ''Hesperornis'' leg bone uncovered in the 1960s was examined by David Burnham, Bruce Rothschild et al. and was found to bear bite marks from a young [[polycotylid]] plesiosaur (possibly a ''[[Dolichorhynchops]]'' or something similar). The ''Hesperornis's'' bone, specifically the condyle, shows signs of infection, indicating the bird survived the initial attack and escaped the predator. The discovery was published in the journal ''Cretaceous Research'' in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160311-how-a-bird-managed-to-escape-a-predatory-sea-monster|title = BBC Earth &#124; Home}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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<ref name=1915b>{{cite journal|author=Shufeldt, R.W. |year=1915|title=Fossil birds in the Marsh Collection of Yale University|journal=Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences|volume=19|pages= 1–110}}</ref>
<ref name=1915b>{{cite journal|author=Shufeldt, R.W. |year=1915|title=Fossil birds in the Marsh Collection of Yale University|journal=Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences|volume=19|pages= 1–110}}</ref>


<ref name=bellparahesp>{{cite journal|author1=Bell, A. |author2=Everhart, M.J. |year=2009|title=A new specimen of ''Parahesperornis'' (Aves: Hesperornithiformes) from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Early Campanian) of Western Kansas|journal=Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science|volume=112|issue=1/2|pages= 7–14|doi=10.1660/062.112.0202}}</ref>
<ref name=bellparahesp>{{cite journal|author1=Bell, A. |author2=Everhart, M.J. |year=2009|title=A new specimen of ''Parahesperornis'' (Aves: Hesperornithiformes) from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Early Campanian) of Western Kansas|journal=Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science|volume=112|issue=1/2|pages= 7–14|doi=10.1660/062.112.0202|s2cid=86083098 }}</ref>


<ref name=Brodavis>{{cite journal |author1=Larry D. Martin |author2=Evgeny N. Kurochkin |author3=Tim T. Tokaryk |year=2012 |title=A new evolutionary lineage of diving birds from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia |journal=[[Palaeoworld]] |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=59–63 |doi=10.1016/j.palwor.2012.02.005}}</ref>
<ref name=Brodavis>{{cite journal |author1=Larry D. Martin |author2=Evgeny N. Kurochkin |author3=Tim T. Tokaryk |year=2012 |title=A new evolutionary lineage of diving birds from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia |journal=[[Palaeoworld]] |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=59–63 |doi=10.1016/j.palwor.2012.02.005}}</ref>


<ref name=carpenter2003>{{cite journal|author=Carpenter, K. |year=2003|title=Vertebrate Biostratigraphy of the Smoky Hill Chalk (Niobrara Formation) and the Sharon Springs Member (Pierre Shale)|journal=High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology|volume=21|pages= 421–437|doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-9053-0|series=Topics in Geobiology|editor1-last=Harries|editor1-first=P. J|isbn=978-1-4020-1443-7}}</ref>
<ref name=carpenter2003>{{cite book|author=Carpenter, K. |title=High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology |volume=21|pages= 421–437|doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-9053-0|series=Topics in Geobiology|date=2008 |editor1-last=Harries|editor1-first=P. J|isbn=978-1-4020-1443-7}}</ref>


<ref name=Chinsamy98>{{cite journal|author=Chinsamy A, Martin, Larry D. & Dobson, P. |year=1998|title= Bone microstructure of the diving ''Hesperornis'' and the volant ''Ichthyornis'' from the Niobrara Chalk of western Kansas|journal=Cretaceous Research|volume=19|issue=2|pages= 225–235|doi=10.1006/cres.1997.0102|last2=Martin|last3=Dobson}}</ref>
<ref name=Chinsamy98>{{cite journal|author=Chinsamy A, Martin, Larry D. & Dobson, P. |year=1998|title= Bone microstructure of the diving ''Hesperornis'' and the volant ''Ichthyornis'' from the Niobrara Chalk of western Kansas|journal=Cretaceous Research|volume=19|issue=2|pages= 225–235|doi=10.1006/cres.1997.0102|last2=Martin|last3=Dobson|bibcode=1998CrRes..19..225C |doi-access=free}}</ref>


<ref name=elzanowski1991>{{cite journal|author=Elzanowski, A. |year=1991|title=New observations on the skull of ''Hesperornis'' with reconstructions of the bony palate and otic region|journal=Postilla|volume=207|pages= 1–20}}</ref>
<ref name=elzanowski1991>{{cite journal|author=Elzanowski, A. |year=1991|title=New observations on the skull of ''Hesperornis'' with reconstructions of the bony palate and otic region|journal=Postilla|volume=207|pages= 1–20}}</ref>
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<ref name=Gregory>{{cite journal|author=Gregory, Joseph T. |year=1952|title= The Jaws of the Cretaceous Toothed Birds, ''Ichthyornis'' and ''Hesperornis''|journal=[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]|volume=54|issue=2|pages= 73–88|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v054n02/p0073-p0088.pdf|doi=10.2307/1364594|jstor=1364594}}</ref>
<ref name=Gregory>{{cite journal|author=Gregory, Joseph T. |year=1952|title= The Jaws of the Cretaceous Toothed Birds, ''Ichthyornis'' and ''Hesperornis''|journal=[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]|volume=54|issue=2|pages= 73–88|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v054n02/p0073-p0088.pdf|doi=10.2307/1364594|jstor=1364594}}</ref>


<ref name=fox1974>{{cite journal|author=Fox, R.C. |year=1974|title=A middle Campanian, nonmarine occurrence of the Cretaceous toothed bird ''Hesperornis'' Marsh|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|volume=11|pages= 1335–1338|doi=10.1139/e74-127|issue=9}}</ref>
<ref name=fox1974>{{cite journal|author=Fox, R.C. |year=1974|title=A middle Campanian, nonmarine occurrence of the Cretaceous toothed bird ''Hesperornis'' Marsh|journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences|volume=11|pages= 1335–1338|doi=10.1139/e74-127|issue=9|bibcode=1974CaJES..11.1335F}}</ref>


<ref name=heironymus2010>{{cite journal|author1=Heironymus, T.L.|author2=Witmer, L.M.|year=2010|title=Homology and evolution of avian compound rhamphothecae|journal=The Auk|volume=127|issue=3|pages=590–604|doi=10.1525/auk.2010.09122|url=http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/Downloads/2010_Hieronymus_and_Witmer_bird_beaks.pdf|access-date=2013-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924062622/http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/Downloads/2010_Hieronymus_and_Witmer_bird_beaks.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name=heironymus2010>{{cite journal|author1=Heironymus, T.L.|author2=Witmer, L.M.|year=2010|title=Homology and evolution of avian compound rhamphothecae|journal=The Auk|volume=127|issue=3|pages=590–604|doi=10.1525/auk.2010.09122|s2cid=18430834|url=http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/Downloads/2010_Hieronymus_and_Witmer_bird_beaks.pdf|access-date=2013-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924062622/http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/Downloads/2010_Hieronymus_and_Witmer_bird_beaks.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>


<ref name=Hills99>{{cite journal|author1=Hills, L. V. |author2=Nicholls, E. L. |author3=Núñez-Betelu, L. "Koldo" M. |author4=McIntyre, D. J. |year=1999 |title=''Hesperornis'' (Aves) from Ellesmere Island and palynological correlation of known Canadian localities |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=36 |issue=9 |pages=1583–1588 |url=http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e99-060_36_ns_nf_cjes |doi=10.1139/e99-060 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311131402/http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e99-060_36_ns_nf_cjes |archivedate=2007-03-11 }}</ref>
<ref name=Hills99>{{cite journal|author1=Hills, L. V. |author2=Nicholls, E. L. |author3=Núñez-Betelu, L. "Koldo" M. |author4=McIntyre, D. J. |year=1999 |title=''Hesperornis'' (Aves) from Ellesmere Island and palynological correlation of known Canadian localities |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=36 |issue=9 |pages=1583–1588 |url=http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e99-060_36_ns_nf_cjes |doi=10.1139/e99-060 |bibcode=1999CaJES..36.1583H |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311131402/http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e99-060_36_ns_nf_cjes |archive-date=2007-03-11 }}</ref>


<ref name=marsh1876>{{cite journal|author=Marsh, O.C. |year=1876|title=Notice of new Odontornithes|journal=The American Journal of Science and Arts|volume=11|issue=66|pages= 509–511|doi=10.2475/ajs.s3-11.66.509|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2336586}}</ref>
<ref name=marsh1876>{{cite journal|author=Marsh, O.C. |year=1876|title=Notice of new Odontornithes|journal=The American Journal of Science and Arts|volume=11|issue=66|pages= 509–511|doi=10.2475/ajs.s3-11.66.509|bibcode=1876AmJS...11..509M|s2cid=131496417|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2336586}}</ref>


<ref name=marsh1880>Marsh, Othniel Charles (1880): ''Odontornithes, a Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America''. Government Printing Office, Washington DC.</ref>
<ref name=marsh1880>Marsh, Othniel Charles (1880): ''Odontornithes, a Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America''. Government Printing Office, Washington DC.</ref>
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<ref name=Mortimer>Mortimer, Michael (2004): The Theropod Database: [http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html Phylogeny of taxa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516175802/http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html |date=2013-05-16 }}.</ref>
<ref name=Mortimer>Mortimer, Michael (2004): The Theropod Database: [http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html Phylogeny of taxa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516175802/http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html |date=2013-05-16 }}.</ref>


<ref name = Perrins>{{cite book |last=Perrins |first=Christopher |title=Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World |origyear=1979 |year=1987 |location=Pleasantville, NY, US |publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc. |isbn=0895770652 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/165 165–166] |editor-last=Harrison |editor-first=C.J.O. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/165 }}</ref>
<ref name = Perrins>{{cite book |last=Perrins |first=Christopher |title=Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World |orig-year=1979 |year=1987 |location=Pleasantville, NY, US |publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc. |isbn=0895770652 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/165 165–166] |editor-last=Harrison |editor-first=C.J.O. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/165 }}</ref>


<ref name=ReesLindgren>{{cite journal|author=Rees, Jan & Lindgren, Johan |year=2005|title= Aquatic birds from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Campanian) of Sweden and the biology and distribution of hesperornithiforms|journal=[[Palaeontology (journal)|Palaeontology]]|volume=48|issue=6|pages= 1321–1329|doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00507.x|last2=Lindgren}}</ref>
<ref name=ReesLindgren>{{cite journal|author=Rees, Jan & Lindgren, Johan |year=2005|title= Aquatic birds from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Campanian) of Sweden and the biology and distribution of hesperornithiforms|journal=[[Palaeontology (journal)|Palaeontology]]|volume=48|issue=6|pages= 1321–1329|doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00507.x|last2=Lindgren|bibcode=2005Palgy..48.1321R |doi-access=free}}</ref>


<ref name=hesperornisdivingbirds>{{cite journal|author=Reynaud, F. |year=2006|title=Hind limb and pelvis proportions of ''Hesperornis regalis'': A comparison with extant diving birds|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=26|issue=3|page= 115A|doi=10.1080/02724634.2006.10010069}}</ref>
<ref name=hesperornisdivingbirds>{{cite journal|author=Reynaud, F. |year=2006|title=Hind limb and pelvis proportions of ''Hesperornis regalis'': A comparison with extant diving birds|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=26|issue=3|page= 115A|doi=10.1080/02724634.2006.10010069|s2cid=220413406}}</ref>
}}
}}


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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* Everhart, M.J. (2012): [[Oceans of Kansas]]: [http://www.oceansofkansas.com/hesper.html ''Hesperornis regalis'' Marsh 1872 – Toothed marine birds of the Late Cretaceous seas]. Version of 2012-September-19.
* Everhart, M.J. (2012): [[Oceans of Kansas]]: [http://www.oceansofkansas.com/hesper.html ''Hesperornis regalis'' Marsh 1872 – Toothed marine birds of the Late Cretaceous seas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929084104/http://www.oceansofkansas.com/hesper.html |date=2007-09-29 }}. Version of 2012-September-19.
* Everhart, M.J. 2011. Rediscovery of the ''Hesperornis regalis'' Marsh 1871 holotype locality indicates an earlier stratigraphic occurrence. Kansas Academy of Science, Transactions 114(1-2):59-68.
* Everhart, M.J. 2011. Rediscovery of the ''Hesperornis regalis'' Marsh 1871 holotype locality indicates an earlier stratigraphic occurrence. Kansas Academy of Science, Transactions 114(1-2):59-68.


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{{Portal|Paleontology}}
{{Portal|Paleontology}}
* [[Eastern Kentucky University]]: [http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/554images/hesperornis_skull.jpg Closeup of ''Hesperornis'' skull]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
* [[Eastern Kentucky University]]: [http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/554images/hesperornis_skull.jpg Closeup of ''Hesperornis'' skull]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
* savageancientseas.com: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060517140109/http://www.savageancientseas.com/images/hesperornis.jpg Forward view of ''H. regalis'' skeleton in diving pose]. Note relalistic position of legs and toe rotation. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
* savageancientseas.com: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060517140109/http://www.savageancientseas.com/images/hesperornis.jpg Forward view of ''H. regalis'' skeleton in diving pose]. Note realistic position of legs and toe rotation. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
* [[UC Davis]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209094010/http://3dmuseum.geology.ucdavis.edu/frame.html?3DVB0003_MAIN.htm~mainFrame Moveable 3D rendering of patella (kneecap) of ''Hesperornis'' sp.]. Digitized from KUVP PU17193. Requires Java, IFC or 3DC plugin. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.
* [[UC Davis]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209094010/http://3dmuseum.geology.ucdavis.edu/frame.html?3DVB0003_MAIN.htm~mainFrame Moveable 3D rendering of patella (kneecap) of ''Hesperornis'' sp.]. Digitized from KUVP PU17193. Requires Java, IFC or 3DC plugin. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04.


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[[Category:Bird genera]]
[[Category:Bird genera]]
[[Category:Hesperornithidae]]
[[Category:Hesperornitheans]]
[[Category:Extinct flightless birds]]
[[Category:Extinct flightless birds]]
[[Category:Late Cretaceous birds of North America]]
[[Category:Late Cretaceous birds of North America]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1872]]

Revision as of 21:44, 13 April 2024

Hesperornis
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Campanian), 83.6–72 Ma Possible early Maastrichtian record
Restored skeleton of H. regalis in diving posture at the American Museum of Natural History
Life reconstruction of H. regalis in diving posture
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Hesperornithes
Family: Hesperornithidae
Genus: Hesperornis
Marsh, 1872
Type species
Hesperornis regalis
Marsh, 1872
Species

H. regalis Marsh, 1872
H. crassipes (Marsh, 1876)
H. gracilis Marsh, 1876
H. altus (Marsh, 1893)
H. montana Schufeldt, 1915
H. rossicus Nesov & Yarkov, 1993
H. bairdi Martin & Lim, 2002
H. chowi Martin & Lim, 2002
H. macdonaldi Martin & Lim, 2002
H. mengeli Martin & Lim, 2002
H. lumgairi Aotsuka & Sato, 2016

Synonyms

Lestornis Marsh, 1876
Coniornis Marsh, 1893
Hargeria Lucas, 1903

Hesperornis (meaning "western bird") is a genus of cormorant-like Ornithuran that spanned throughout the Campanian age, and possibly even up to the early Maastrichtian age, of the Late Cretaceous period.[1][2] One of the lesser-known discoveries of the paleontologist O. C. Marsh in the late 19th century Bone Wars, it was an early find in the history of avian paleontology. Locations for Hesperornis fossils include the Late Cretaceous marine limestones from Kansas and the marine shales from Canada. Nine species are recognised, eight of which have been recovered from rocks in North America and one from Russia.

Description

Life restoration

Hesperornis was a large bird, reaching up to 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) in length.[3] It had virtually no wings, and swam with its powerful hind legs. Studies on the feet initially indicated that Hesperornis and kin had lobed toes similar to modern-day grebes, as opposed to webbed toes as seen in most aquatic birds such as loons.[4] More recent work looking at the morphometrics of the feet in hesperornithiformes and modern sea birds has thrown this interpretation into question, making webbed toes equally as likely as lobed toes for this group.[5]

Like many other Mesozoic birds such as Ichthyornis, Hesperornis had teeth as well as a beak. In the hesperornithiform lineage they were of a different arrangement than in any other known bird (or in non-avian theropod dinosaurs), with the teeth sitting in a longitudinal groove rather than in individual sockets, in a notable case of convergent evolution with mosasaurs.[6][7] The teeth of Hesperornis were present along nearly the entire lower jaw (dentary) and the back of the upper jaw (maxilla). The front portion of the upper jaw (premaxilla) and tip of the lower jaw (predentary) lacked teeth and were probably covered in a beak. Studies of the bone surface show that at least the tips of the jaws supported a hard, keratinous beak similar to that found in modern birds.[8] The palate (mouth roof) contained small pits that allowed the lower teeth to lock into place when the jaws were closed.[9] They also retained a dinosaur-like joint between the lower jaw bones. It is believed that this allowed them to rotate the back portion of the mandible independently of the front, thus allowing the lower teeth to disengage.[3]

History

Marsh's now-obsolete 1880 reconstruction of H. regalis

The first Hesperornis specimen was discovered in 1871 by Othniel Charles Marsh. Marsh was undertaking his second western expedition, accompanied by ten students.[10] The team headed to Kansas where Marsh had dug before. Aside from finding more bones belonging to the flying reptile Pteranodon, Marsh discovered the skeleton of a "large fossil bird, at least five feet in height". The specimen was large, wingless, and had strong legs—Marsh considered it a diving species. Unfortunately, the specimen lacked a head.[11] Marsh named the find Hesperornis regalis, or "regal western bird".[12]

Marsh headed back west with a smaller party the following year. In western Kansas, one of Marsh's four students, Thomas H. Russell, discovered a "nearly perfect skeleton" of Hesperornis.[13] This specimen had enough of its head intact that Marsh could see that the creature's jaws had been lined with teeth.[14] Marsh saw important evolutionary implications of this find, along with Benjamin Mudge's find of the toothed bird Ichthyornis.[15] In an 1873 paper Marsh declared that "the fortunate discovery of these interesting fossils does much to break down the old distinction between Birds and Reptiles".[14] Meanwhile, Marsh's relationship with his rival Edward Drinker Cope soured further after Cope accidentally received boxes of fossils, including the toothed birds, that were meant for Marsh. Cope called the birds "simply delightful", but Marsh replied with accusations Cope had stolen the bones.[16] By 1873 their friendship dissolved into open hostility, helping to spark the Bone Wars. While Marsh would rarely go into the field after 1873, the collectors he paid continued to send him a stream of fossils. He eventually received parts of 50 specimens of Hesperornis, which allowed him to make a much stronger demonstration of an evolutionary link between reptiles and birds than had been possible before.[17]

Classification and Species

H. regalis specimen at the AMNH

Many species have been described in this genus, though some are known from very few bones or even a single bone and cannot be properly compared with the more plentiful (but also incomplete) remains of other similar-sized taxa. In many cases, species have been separated by provenance, having been found in strata of different ages or in different locations, or by differences in size.

The first species to be described, the type species, is Hesperornis regalis. H. regalis is also the best known species, and dozens of specimens (from fragments to more complete skeletons) have been recovered, all from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation (dating to the early Campanian age, between 90 and 60 million years ago).[18] It is the only species of Hesperornis for which a nearly complete skull is known.

Hesperornis crassipes was named in 1876 by Marsh, who initially classified it in a different genus as Lestornis crassipes. H. crassipes was larger than H. regalis, had five ribs as opposed to four in the first species, and differed in aspects of the bone sculpturing on the breastbone and lower leg. H. crassipes is known from the same time and place as H. regalis. One incomplete skeleton is known, including teeth and parts of the skull.[19]

Left leg of H. gracilis

Marsh explicitly named his second species of Hesperornis in 1876 for an incomplete metatarsus recovered from the same layers of the Niobrara chalk as H. regalis. He named this smaller species H. gracilis, and it was subsequently involved in the rather confused taxonomy of a specimen which would eventually form the basis of the new genus and species Parahesperornis alexi. The type specimen of P. alexi was assumed to belong to the same specimen as that of H. gracilis, so when Lucas (1903) decided that the former specimen represented a distinct genus, he mistakenly used the later specimen to anchor it, creating the name Hargeria gracilis. This mistake was rectified by later authors, who sank Hargeria back into Hesperornis and renamed the more distinctive specimen Parahesperornis.[20][21]

Type specimen (a partial right tibia) of H. altus in several views

The first species recognized from outside the Niobrara chalk, Hesperornis altus, lived about 78 million years ago in Montana, and is known from a partial lower leg from the base of the freshwater Judith River Formation (or, possibly, the top of the underlying, marine Claggett Shale formation). While initially placed in the new genus Coniornis by Marsh, this was due mostly to his belief that Hesperornis existed only in Kansas, so any species from Montana should be placed in a different genus. Most later researchers disagreed with this, and have placed Coniornis altus in the same genus as Hesperornis as H. altus.[22][23] A second species from Montana has also been described from the Claggett Shale. H. montana was named by Shufeldt in 1915, and while its known material (a single dorsal vertebra) cannot be directly compared to H. altus, Shufeldt and others have considered it distinct due to its apparently smaller size.[24]

In 1993, the first Hesperornis remains from outside of North America were recognized as a new species by Nessov and Yarkov. They named Hesperornis rossicus for a fragmentary skeleton from the early Campanian of Russia near Volgograd. Several other specimens from contemporary deposits have since been referred to this species. At about 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) long, H. rossicus was the largest species of Hesperornis and among the largest hesperornithines, slightly smaller than the large Canadian genus Canadaga.[12] Aside from its large size and different geographic location, H. rossicus differs from other Hesperornis in several features of the lower leg and foot, including a highly flattened metatarsus.[25]

In 2002, Martin and Lim formally recognized several new species for remains that had previously been unstudied or referred without consideration to previously named North American hesperornithines. These include the very small H. mengeli and H. macdonaldi, the slightly larger H. bairdi, and the very large H. chowi, all from the Sharon Springs member of the Pierre Shale Formation in South Dakota and Alberta, 80.5 million years ago.[26]

In addition, there are some unassigned remains, such as SGU 3442 Ve02 and LO 9067t and bones of an undetermined species from Tzimlyanskoe Reservoir near Rostov. The former two bones are probably H. rossicus; some remains assigned to that species in turn seem to belong to the latter undetermined taxon.[27] It is also suggested that Hesperornis likely lived throughout the Campanian age based on remains found on middle to late Campanian age rocks,[1] and possibly even up to the early Maastrichtian age.[2]

Paleobiology

H. regalis skeleton in swimming pose; note feet pointing sideways

Hesperornis was primarily marine, and lived in the waters of such contemporary shallow shelf seas as the Western Interior Seaway, the Turgai Strait, and the North Sea,[27][2] which then were subtropical to tropical waters, much warmer than today. However, some of the youngest known specimens of Hesperornis have been found in inland freshwater deposits of the Foremost Formation, suggesting that some species of Hesperornis may have eventually moved, at least partially, away from a primarily marine habitat. Additionally, the species H. altus comes from the freshwater deposits at the base of the Judith River Formation.[28]

Traditionally, Hesperornis is depicted with a mode of locomotion similar to modern loons or grebes, and study of their limb proportions and hip structure has borne out this comparison. In terms of limb length, shape of the hip bones, and position of the hip socket, Hesperornis is particularly similar to the common loon (Gavia immer), probably exhibiting a very similar manner of locomotion on land and in water. Like loons, Hesperornis were probably excellent foot-propelled divers, but might have been ungainly on land.[29] Like loons, the legs were probably encased inside the body wall up to the ankle, causing the feet to jut out to the sides near the tail. This would have prevented them from bringing the legs underneath the body to stand, or under the center of gravity to walk. Instead, they likely moved on land by pushing themselves along on their bellies, like modern seals.[30] However, more recent studies on hesperornithean hindlimbs suggest they were more functionally similar to those of the still upright walking cormorants.[31]

Young Hesperornis grew fairly quickly and continuously to adulthood, as is the case in modern birds, but not Enantiornithes.[32]

Pathology

A Hesperornis leg bone uncovered in the 1960s was examined by David Burnham, Bruce Rothschild et al. and was found to bear bite marks from a young polycotylid plesiosaur (possibly a Dolichorhynchops or something similar). The Hesperornis's bone, specifically the condyle, shows signs of infection, indicating the bird survived the initial attack and escaped the predator. The discovery was published in the journal Cretaceous Research in 2016.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b Alyssa Bell; Kelly J. Irwin; Leo Carson Davis (2015). "Hesperornithiform birds from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of Arkansas, USA". Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 118 (3–4): 219–229. doi:10.1660/062.118.0305. JSTOR 24887762. S2CID 83921936.
  2. ^ a b c Hills, L. V.; Nicholls, E. L.; Núñez-Betelu, L. "Koldo" M.; McIntyre, D. J. (1999). "Hesperornis (Aves) from Ellesmere Island and palynological correlation of known Canadian localities". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 36 (9): 1583–1588. Bibcode:1999CaJES..36.1583H. doi:10.1139/e99-060. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
  3. ^ a b Perrins, Christopher (1987) [1979]. Harrison, C.J.O. (ed.). Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World. Pleasantville, NY, US: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. pp. 165–166. ISBN 0895770652.
  4. ^ Stolpe, M (1935). "Colymbus, Hesperornis, Podiceps: ein Vergleich ihrer hinteren extremitat". Journal für Ornithologie. 83: 115–128. doi:10.1007/BF01908745. S2CID 11147804.
  5. ^ Bell, Alyssa; Wu, Yun-Hsin; Chiappe, Luis (2019). "Morphometric comparison of the Hesperornithiformes and modern diving birds". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 513: 196–207. Bibcode:2019PPP...513..196B. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.12.010. S2CID 133964417.
  6. ^ Marsh, Othniel Charles (1880): Odontornithes, a Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America. Government Printing Office, Washington DC.
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Sources

  • Thomson, Keith Stewart (2008). The Legacy of the Mastodon: The Golden Age of Fossils in America. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11704-2.
  • Wallace, David Rains (1999). The Bonehunters' Revenge: Dinosaurs, Greed, and the Greatest Scientific Feud of the Gilded Age. Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0-618-08240-9.

Further reading

External links