Gavia brodkorbi is an extinct species of loon from the Clarendonian age from United States. The holotype and only known specimen is a complete left ulna that was collected from the Monterey Formation in Laguna Niguel, California by Marion J. Bohreer in 1969. The ulna is shorter but more stouter in comparison to the red-throated loon (G. stellata) and pacific loon (G. pacifica). The area of attachment of the ligaments is different from the extant species, as it is shorter and less oval. Hildegarde Howard would described the bird in 1978 on a paper discussing the Late Miocene seabird fauna of Orange County named the species after Pierce Brodkorb for his contribution for the field of paleornithology including his review of Pliocene loons.[1][2]

Gavia brodkorbi
Temporal range: Clarendonian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gaviiformes
Family: Gaviidae
Genus: Gavia
Species:
G. brodkorbi
Binomial name
Gavia brodkorbi
H. Howard, 1978

References edit

  1. ^ Brodkorb, P. (1953). "A review of the Pliocene loons". The Condor. 54 (4): 211–214.
  2. ^ Howard, H. (1978). "Late Miocene marine birds from Orange County, California". Contributions in Science. 290: 1–26.