Opisthodactylus is an extinct genus of rhea from the Early to Middle Miocene Santa Cruz and Chichinales Formations and the Late Miocene (Montehermosan) Andalhuala Formation of Argentina. Three species are described: the type species, O. patagonicus, O. kirchneri and O. horacioperezi. The species O. kirchneri was described in 2017 by Noriega et al.[1] Fossils of O. horacioperezi were found together with fossils of Patagorhacos terrificus.[2]

Opisthodactylus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Rheiformes
Family: Rheidae
Genus: Opisthodactylus
Ameghino 1891
Species
  • O. patagonicus Ameghino 1891 (type)
  • O. horacioperezi Agnolin & Chafrat 2015
  • O. kirchneri Noriega et al. 2017

References

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  1. ^ Opisthodactylus at Fossilworks.org
  2. ^ Federico L. Agnolin and Pablo Chafrat (2015). "New fossil bird remains from the Chichinales Formation (Early Miocene) of northern Patagonia, Argentina". Annales de Paléontologie. 101 (2): 87–94. Bibcode:2015AnPal.101...87A. doi:10.1016/j.annpal.2015.02.001.

Further reading

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  • The Origin and Evolution of Birds by Alan Feduccia