Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Euornithes
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Ornithurae
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Palaeognathae
Ordo: Rheiformes
Familia: †Opistodactylidae
Genus: Diogenornis
Species (1): D. fragilis
Name
Diogenornis Alvarenga, 1983
References
Alvarenga, H.M.F. 1983. Una ave ratitae do Paleoceno brasileriro: bacia calcaria de Itaborai, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Boletim do Museu Nacional de Rio de Janeiro Geologia 41: 1–7. Reference page.
Diogenornis is an extinct genus of ratites, that lived during the Early Eocene (Itaboraian to Casamayoran in the SALMA classification).[1] It was described in 1983 by Brazilian scientist Herculano Marcos Ferraz de Alvarenga based on fossils found in the Itaboraí Formation.[2] The type species is D. fragilis. While initially considered a member of the family Opisthodactylidae, further examination of the fossil remains showed that it was more similar to the modern rhea. According to Gerald Mayr, Diogenornis is best considered a stem-group member of the Rheidae.[3] It grew to about two thirds the size of the modern greater rhea, at about 90 centimetres (3.0 ft) of height.[3]
Description
However, recent phylogenetic studies have shown a closer affiliation to Australian ratites, the cassowaries and emus. This may reevaluate the origins and distribution of this clade, expanding their range to the South American Paleocene, well before the appearance of Emuarius.[4] Recent findings nonetheless show that it co-existed with early rheas, meaning the ratite diversity of South America was very high during the Paleogene.[5]
Diogenornis possesses a rather narrow beak, similar to that of tinamous, lithornithids and cassowaries, as well as rather large wings.[2] These traits, both rather unspecialised, seem to suggest a then recent development from a flying ancestor.[4]
References
Diogenornis at Fossilworks.org
Alvarenga, H.M.F. (1983) Uma ave ratitae do Paleoceno Brasileiro: bacia calcária de Itaboraí, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Boletim do Museu Nacional, Nova Série, Geologia 41: 1–8
Mayr, G. (2009). Paleogene fossil birds. Springer.
H. Alvarenga, Diogenornis fragilis Alvarenga, 1985, restudied: a South American ratite closely related to Casuariidae, 2010
Agnolin et al, "Unexpected diversity of ratites (Aves, Palaeognathae) in the early Cenozoic of South America: palaeobiogeographical implications Article in Alcheringa" An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology July 2016 DOI: 10.1080/03115518.2016.1184898
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
