Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Hesperornis gracilis

Osteichthyes - Hesperornithiformes

Taxonomy
Hesperornis gracilis was named by Marsh (1876). Its type specimen is YPM 1478, a limb element (left tarsometatarsus), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Hesperornis gracilis type locality; Upper Cretaceous of western Kansas, which is in a Cretaceous marine horizon in Kansas. It is the type species of Hargeria.

It was recombined as Hargeria gracilis by Lucas (1903), Hay (1930), Wetmore (1940).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1876Hesperornis gracilis Marsh
1880Hesperornis gracilis Marsh p. 197
1890Hesperornis gracilis Zittel p. 828
1902Hesperornis gracilis Hay p. 521
1903Hargeria gracilis Lucas p. 552
1930Hargeria gracilis Hay p. 279
1940Hargeria gracilis Wetmore p. 4
1956Hesperornis gracilis Wetmore p. 4
1971Hesperornis gracilis Brodkorb p. 39
1984Hesperornis gracilis Martin p. 142
2000Hesperornis gracilis Kurochkin p. 544
2016Hesperornis gracilis Bell and Chiappe

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
—Crocopoda
RankNameAuthor
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Dinosauria()
—Saurischia()
—Theropoda()
—Neotheropoda
—AverostraPaul 2002
—Tetanurae
—Coelurosauria()
—Maniraptora
—Avialae
—Ornithothoraces
—OrnithuromorphaChiappe et al. 1999
subclassOrnithurae
orderHesperornithiformesFürbringer 1888
—Hesperornithidae()
genusHesperornis
speciesgracilis

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Hesperornis gracilis Marsh 1876
show all | hide all
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
F. Lucas 1903Quadrate with a large, upwardly directed lachyrmal process; processes of nasals short; length of femur more than twice its greatest width across the head.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Entire body: yeso
Adult length: 10 to < 100o
Adult width: 1.0 to < 10o
Adult height: 1.0 to < 10o
Architecture: compact or denseo
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partso
Grouping: solitaryo
Environment: marineo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: aquaticg
Diet: piscivoreg
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2009-01-04 11:39:19
Modified: 2009-01-05 19:23:39
Source: g = genus, o = order
References: Bush and Bambach 2015, Marsh 1875, Padian 1985

Age range: Late/Upper Cretaceous or 100.50000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Cretaceous100.5 - 66.0USA (Kansas) Hesperornis gracilis (type locality: 156590)