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Parahesperornis alexi

Osteichthyes - Hesperornithiformes

Taxonomy
Parahesperornis alexi was named by Martin (1984). Its type specimen is KUVP 2287, a skeleton (nearly complete skeleton with partial skull and partial forelimbs), and it is a 3D fossil preserving soft parts. Its type locality is KUVP Gra-2, which is in a Coniacian/Santonian marine horizon in the Niobrara Formation of Kansas. It is the type species of Parahesperornis.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1984Parahesperornis alexi Martin p. 143
2020Parahesperornis alexi Bell and Chiappe

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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()
genusParahesperornis
speciesalexi

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.

†Parahesperornis alexi Martin 1984
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Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
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: ground dwellingo
Diet: carnivoresubo
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2017-04-17 10:39:36
Modified: 2017-04-17 10:39:36
Source: subo = suborder, o = order
References: Benton 1983, Kiessling 2004, Bush and Bambach 2015, Marsh 1875

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Santonian to the top of the Santonian or 85.70000 to 83.60000 Ma

Collections (3 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Coniacian - Santonian89.8 - 83.6USA (Kansas) Parahesperornis alexi (type locality: 85238) Parahesperornis sp. (132511)
Late/Upper Santonian85.7 - 83.6USA (Kansas) Parahesperornis sp. (132510)