12/22/2023 0 Comments Shoebill stork squishmallowIt has been suggested that the enigmatic African fossil bird Eremopezus was a relative too, but the evidence for that is unconfirmed. So far, two fossilized relatives of the shoebill have been described: Goliathia from the early Oligocene of Egypt and Paludavis from the Early Miocene of the same country. A 2008 DNA study reinforces their membership of the Pelecaniformes. In 2003, the shoebill was again suggested as closer to the pelicans (based on anatomical comparisons) or the herons (based on biochemical evidence). Microscopic analysis of eggshell structure by Konstantin Mikhailov in 1995 found that the eggshells of shoebills closely resembled those of other Pelecaniformes in having a covering of thick microglobular material over the crystalline shells. Based on osteological evidence, the suggestion of a pelecaniform affinity was made in 1957 by Patricia Cottam. Traditionally considered as allied with the storks ( Ciconiiformes), it was retained there in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy which lumped a massive number of unrelated taxa into their "Ciconiiformes". Alternative common names are whalebill, shoe-billed stork and whale-headed stork. The genus name comes from the Latin words balaena "whale", and caput "head", abbreviated to -ceps in compound words. He placed the species in its own genus Balaeniceps and coined the binomial name Balaeniceps rex. Gould provided a more detailed description in the following year. John Gould very briefly described it in 1850 from the skin of a specimen collected on the upper White Nile by the English traveller Mansfield Parkyns. The shoebill may have been known to Ancient Egyptians but was not classified until the 19th century, after skins and eventually live specimens were brought to Europe. Taxonomy Molecular studies have found the hamerkop to be the closest relative of the shoebill. It lives in tropical East Africa in large swamps from South Sudan to Zambia. The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are more brown. However, genetic evidence places it with pelicans and herons in the Pelecaniformes. It has a somewhat stork-like overall form and has previously been classified with the storks in the order Ciconiiformes based on this morphology. It derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped bill. Read her previous blog, 11 Hoofed Animals Most People Have Never Heard Of.The shoebill ( Balaeniceps rex), also known as the whalebill, whale-headed stork, and shoe-billed stork is a large long-legged wading bird. Karen Worley is a staff writer for San Diego Zoo Global. However, more recent studies, including DNA, show that the shoebill is actually more closely related to pelicans than storks. How to classify these odd birds? They ended up placing the shoebill in its own unique genus, but as part of the stork family. Times per minute, one of the slowest rates of any bird.Įver since they were described by Western scientists, shoebills have been the subject of debate among naturalists and taxonomists. But they only flap those big wings about 150 They aren’t very heavy, though, only weighing up to 16 Couple that with anĮnormous wingspan of almost eight feet, and no wonder shoebills have an You stood next to one, it could almost look you in the eye. The bird is only inches shorter than an average person if It comes as a surprise to many that the shoebill can be up
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |