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A living fossil is a deprecated term for an extant taxon that phenotypically resembles related species known only from the fossil record. To be considered a living fossil, the fossil species must be old relative to the time of origin of the extant clade. Living fossils commonly are of species-poor lineages, but they need not be.
The "transitional shorebirds" ("Graculavidae") are a generally Mesozoic form taxon formerly believed to constitute the common ancestors of charadriiforms, waterfowl and flamingos. They are now assumed to be mostly basal taxa of the charadriiforms and/or "higher waterbirds", which probably were two distinct lineages 65 mya already, [ 16 ] and ...
For example, females of nearly all shorebirds have longer bills than males of the same species, [80] and female American avocets have beaks which are slightly more upturned than those of males. [81] Males of the larger gull species have bigger, stouter beaks than those of females of the same species, and immatures can have smaller, more slender ...
At one point, many disparate species were incorrectly referred to the Rhynchocephalia, resulting in what taxonomists call a "wastebasket taxon". [31] Williston in 1925 proposed the Sphenodontia to include only tuatara and their closest fossil relatives. [31] However, Rhynchocephalia is the older name [30] and in widespread use today. Many ...
The Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx is well known as one of the first transitional fossils to be found, and it provided support for the theory of evolution in the late 19th century. Archaeopteryx was the first fossil to display both clearly traditional reptilian characteristics—teeth, clawed fingers, and a long, lizard-like tail—as well as ...
The fossil has been identified as a new silesaurid, an extinct group of reptiles. Paleontologists debate whether silesaurids were true dinosaurs or possibly a precursor to the creatures that once ...
Shorebirds is a blanket term used to refer to multiple bird species that live in wet, coastal environments. Because most these species spend much of their time near bodies of water, many have long legs suitable for wading (hence the name 'Waders'). Some species prefer locations with rocks or mud.
[1] [2] The beak may also be referred to as the mandibles or jaws. [3] These beaks are different from bird beaks because they crush bone while most bird beaks do not. Fossilised remains of beaks are known from a number of cephalopod groups, both extant and extinct, including squids, octopuses, belemnites, and vampyromorphs.