Paakniwatavis (meaning "Water Spirit bird") is a genus of extinct waterfowl from the early Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, United States. The genus contains a single species, P. grandei, known from a partial skeleton with a skull.

Paakniwatavis
Temporal range: early Eocene (Ypresian), ~51.97 Ma
Paakniwatavis holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Genus: Paakniwatavis
Musser & Clarke, 2024
Species:
P. grandei
Binomial name
Paakniwatavis grandei
Musser & Clarke, 2024

Discovery and naming

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The Paakniwatavis holotype specimen, FMNH PA725, was discovered in sediments of the Green River Formation (Fossil Butte Member) near Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The specimen consists of a nearly complete skeleton with the skull, preserved two-dimensionally on a single slab.[1][2]

In 2024, Musser & Clarke described Paakniwatavis grandei as a new genus and species of basal anseriform birds based on these fossil remains. The generic name, Paakniwatavis, combines a reference to the Paakniwat—the supernatural "Water Spirits" or "Water Babies" of Shoshoni legend—with the Latin word "avis", meaning "bird, referencing the presumed aquatic habitat occupied by the species.[3] The specific name, grandei, honors researcher Lance Grande, the discoverer of the holotype specimen.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Musser, Grace; Clarke, Julia A. (2024-07-30). "A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary". PLOS One. 19 (7): e0278737. bioRxiv 10.1101/2022.11.23.517648. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278737. PMC 11288464. PMID 39078833.
  2. ^ Houde, Peter; Dickson, Meig; Camarena, Dakota (February 2023). "Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe". Diversity. 15 (2): 233. doi:10.3390/d15020233. ISSN 1424-2818.
  3. ^ "Native American Legends: Water Babies". Native Languages of the Americas. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-07-30.