Limnofregata

Limnofregata
Temporal range: Early Eocene
Skeleton of L. azygosternon in the Field Museum of Natural History.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Suliformes
Family: Fregatidae
Subfamily: †Limnofregatinae
Olson, 1977
Genus: †Limnofregata
Olson, 1977
Type species
Limnofregata azygosternon
Olson, 1977
Other species
  • †L. hasegawai Olson and Matsuoka, 2005
  • †L. hutchisoni Stidham, 2015

Limnofregata ("Freshwater frigatebird") is an extinct genus of primitive frigatebird.[1] The two known species were described after fossils from the Early Eocene Green River Formation (c.49 million years ago) of Wyoming. A number of good complete and partial skeletons, some with feather impressions, are known of the type species, Limnofregata azygosternon,[2] and L. hasegawai is known from two skulls and most of one torso.

  1. ^ Smith, N. D. (2010). Desalle, Robert (ed.). "Phylogenetic Analysis of Pelecaniformes (Aves) Based on Osteological Data: Implications for Waterbird Phylogeny and Fossil Calibration Studies". PLOS ONE. 5 (10): e13354. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...513354S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013354. PMC 2954798. PMID 20976229.
  2. ^ Olson, Storrs L. (1977). "A Lower Eocene frigatebird from the Green River Formation of Wyoming (Pelecaniformes, Fregatidae)" (PDF). Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 35 (35): 1–33. doi:10.5479/si.00810266.35.1.