''Phoeniconotius'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

that lived in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

from the late

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

to the early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), 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 mea ...

. Unlike modern flamingos and the contemporary '' Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae'', it was likely less well adapted for swimming and deep water wading. ''Phoeniconotius'' was a robust flamingo with bones more massive than those of the modern

greater flamingo The greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. Common in the Old World, they are found in Northern (coastal) and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent (south of the Him ...

. Only a single species is recognized, ''Phoeniconotius eyrensis''.

History

The fossils of ''Phoeniconotius'' have been discovered in the

Lake Eyre basin The Lake Eyre basin ( ) is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. It is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about , including much of inland Queensland, large port ...

, specifically a layer of mudstone belonging to the

Etadunna Formation Etadunna may refer to: * Etadunna, South Australia, the gazetted locality named for the station * Etadunna Airstrip, an airfield in South Australia * Etadunna Formation, a geological formation found in Queensland - refer Baru ''Baru'', somet ...

on the western shore of Lake Palankarinna. The type material consists of three bones, the distal end of the left

tarsometatarsus The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is only found in the lower leg of birds and some non-avian dinosaurs. It is formed from the fusion of several bird bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsus (ankle bones) a ...

and two

phalanges The phalanges (: phalanx ) are digit (anatomy), digital bones in the hands and foot, feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the Thumb, thumbs and Hallux, big toes have two phalanges while the other Digit (anatomy), digits have three phalanges. ...

. The material was collected from the surface and were discovered in association with one another, however not articulated. One phalanx, which is thought to represent the third toe, matches well with the corresponding area on the tarsometatarsus while the second known toe bone, likely representing the fourth toe, is thought to stem from the animal's right side. All the material is equally mineralized and shows the same coloration.

Description

The ''Phoeniconotius'' material generally resembles that of modern flamingos. Where the third trochlea connects with the third toe, the bone is truncated rather than elongated as in modern species and the second trochlea has a broad, rounded concavity bodering the articular surface. Like in extant taxa, the second trochlea is elevated and deflects towards the plantar surface. The third trochlea is also more robust and wider than in extant flamingos and is more similar to the massiveness observed in the Palaelodidae, the sister family to the

Phoenicopteridae Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

. However, despite this similarity in robustness, Miller rejects a closer relationship between the two. Much like '' Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae'', there is a clear scar for the attachment of the first

metatarsal The metatarsal bones or metatarsus (: metatarsi) are a group of five long bones in the midfoot, located between the tarsal bones (which form the heel and the ankle) and the phalanges ( toes). Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are ...

. This clearly separates ''Phoeniconotius'' from today's flamingos, in which the hallux is either reduced past the point of leaving visible attachment points on the tarsometatarsus or missing entirely. The third phalanx of ''Phoeniconotius'', which would form the base of the second toe, is short and robust. Both in breadth and depth the foot of ''Phoeniconotius'' exceeds that of the largest male

sampled by the paper. This could suggest that ''Phoeniconotius'' was a rather large member of its family, however due to the absence of the shaft of the tarsometatarsus nothing precise can be said about its limb proportions.

Paleobiology

Unlike the contemporary ''Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae'', ''Phoeniconotius'' appears to differ somewhat from the lifestyle of modern flamingos. Miller argues that the anatomy of the foot is poorly suited for swimming or deep water wading. In modern swimming birds, the plantar surface of the foot is built to allow for greater extension, while the foot of ''Phoeniconotius'' is built more like that of a terrestrial wader akin to a crane. This is further supported by the robust phalanges and the seemingly well developed first toe, which is reduced in flamingos but well developed in less aquatic wading birds like storks and cranes.

References

External links

''Phoeniconotius eyrensis''

Australian Museum The Australian Museum, originally known as the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney, William Street, Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, New South Wales. It is the oldest natural ...

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3500996 Flamingos Oligocene birds Miocene birds Prehistoric birds of Australia Fossil taxa described in 1963