Megapaloelodus

Megapaloelodus Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Early Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Phoenicopteriformes
Family:	†Palaelodidae
Genus:	†Megapaloelodus A. H. Miller 1944[1]
Species
M. connectens Miller, 1944 (type) M. goliath Milne-Edwards, 1863 M. opsigonus Brodkorb, 1961 M. peiranoi Agnolin, 2009
Synonyms
Megapalaelodus Wetmore 1951

Megapaloelodus is an extinct genus of stem flamingo of the family Palaelodidae. Megapaloelodus is primarily known from Miocene America, from South Dakota and Oregon in the north to Argentina in the south, but the species Megapaloelodus goliath was found in Europe. Additionally, one unnamed species was discovered in Miocene sediments from Namibia. Due to a lack of skull material, little can be said about the ecology of Megapaloelodus. Species of this genus are typically larger than those of Palaelodus and appear to have inhabited similar brackish lake environments. Additionally, they may have been capable of "locking" their legs in a standing position.