Paakniwatavis

Paakniwatavis; Temporal range: early Eocene (Ypresian), ~51.97 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Paakniwatavis holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Genus:	†Paakniwatavis; Musser & Clarke, 2024
Species:	†P. grandei
Binomial name
	†Paakniwatavis grandei; Musser & Clarke, 2024

Paakniwatavis (meaning "Water Spirit bird") is a genus of extinct waterfowl from the early Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, United States. The genus contains a single species, P. grandei, known from a partial skeleton with a skull.

Discovery and naming

The Paakniwatavis holotype specimen, FMNH PA725, was discovered in sediments of the Green River Formation (Fossil Butte Member) near Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The specimen consists of a nearly complete skeleton with the skull, preserved two-dimensionally on a single slab.^[1]^[2]

Prior to the formal description of the fossil material, it was mentioned in a bioRxiv preprint in 2022.^[3]

In 2024, Musser & Clarke described Paakniwatavis grandei as a new genus and species of basal anseriform birds based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Paakniwatavis, combines a reference to the Paakniwat—the supernatural "Water Spirits" or "Water Babies" of Shoshoni legend—with the Latin word "avis", meaning "bird, referencing the presumed aquatic habitat occupied by the species.^[4] The specific name, grandei, honors researcher Lance Grande, the discoverer of the holotype specimen.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2024-07-30). Smith, Thierry (ed.). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". PLOS One. 19 (7): e0278737. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278737. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 39078833.
^ Houde, Peter; Dickson, Meig; Camarena, Dakota (February 2023). "Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe". Diversity. 15 (2): 233. doi:10.3390/d15020233. ISSN 1424-2818.
^ Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2022-11-24). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". bioRxiv (Preprint). doi:10.1101/2022.11.23.517648.
^ "Native American Legends: Water Babies". Native Languages of the Americas. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-07-30.

[Paakniwatavis-1] Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2024-07-30). Smith, Thierry (ed.). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". PLOS One. 19 (7): e0278737. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278737. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 39078833.

[Houde2023-2] Houde, Peter; Dickson, Meig; Camarena, Dakota (February 2023). "Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe". Diversity. 15 (2): 233. doi:10.3390/d15020233. ISSN 1424-2818.

[2022Preprint-3] Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2022-11-24). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". bioRxiv (Preprint). doi:10.1101/2022.11.23.517648.

[WaterBabies-4] "Native American Legends: Water Babies". Native Languages of the Americas. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-07-30.

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