Limnofregata

Lim-no-freg-a-tah.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Limnofregata ‭(‬Freshwater frigatebird‭)‬.

Phonetic

Lim-no-freg-a-tah.

Named By

S.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Olson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1977.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Aves,‭ ‬Suliformes,‭ ‬Fregatidae,‭ ‬Fregatidae.

Diet

Piscivore/carnivore.

Species

L.‭ ‬azygosternon‭

Size

Wingspan ranges from about‭ ‬100-120‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Wyoming‭ ‬-‭ ‬Green River Formation,‭ ‬Wasatch Formation.

Time Period

Ypresian‭ ‬-‭ ‬Eocene.

Fossil representation

Several individuals,‭ ‬some almost complete and with feather impressions.

In Depth

       Limnofregata is a genus of bird that many have commented on about its similarity to modern frigatebirds‭ (‬genus Fregata‭)‬,‭ ‬however there are a number of differences.‭ ‬First and foremost is the obvious fact that Limnofregata lived inland around freshwater,‭ ‬whereas modern frigatebirds live by the sea.‭ ‬There,‭ ‬frigatebirds rely upon soaring as a main method of flight,‭ ‬but Limnofregata would not have been able to do this,‭ ‬and probably relied‭ ‬upon a greater amount of‭ ‬flapping to stay aloft.‭ ‬This‭ ‬also means that there probably was‭ ‬no difference in wing size between males and females,‭ ‬like what we see in frigatebirds so that males and females can coexist albeit in difference zones of the coastline.‭ ‬Modern frigate birds are also known for having a brightly coloured throat pouch that can be inflated and used in display.‭ ‬However the neck vertebrae of Limnofregata differ to those of frigatebirds,‭ ‬and offer no indication that Limnofregata also had a throat pouch.

       A further area of difference between Limnofregata and frigatebirds is that the bill of Limnofregata is in proportion notably shorter than that seen in frigatebirds,‭ ‬and also lacked the hook tip.‭ ‬Despite this Limnofregata is thought to have been a piscivorous bird focusing its attentions upon eating the smaller fish that are known from the Green River Formation such as Diplomystus and Knightia.‭ ‬Overall,‭ ‬despite some superficial similarities to frigatebirds,‭ ‬Limnofregata is thought to have lived more like a gull.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A Lower Eocene frigatebird from the Green River Formation of Wyoming‭ (‬Pelecaniformes:‭ ‬Fregatidae‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology‭ ‬35:1-33.‭ ‬-‭ ‬S.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Olson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1977. -‭ ‬A new species of Limnofregata‭ (‬Pelecaniformes:‭ ‬Fregatidae‭) ‬from the Early Eocene Wasatch Formation of Wyoming:‭ ‬implications for palaeoecology and palaeobiology.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Palaeontology:‭ ‬1‭–‬11.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Thomas A.‭ ‬Stidham‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

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