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| Lavanttalornis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Genus: | †Lavanttalornis Bochenskiet al., 2023[1] |
| Species: | †L. hassleri |
| Binomial name | |
| †Lavanttalornis hassleri Bochenski et al. 2023[1] | |
Lavanttalornis is an extinct genus ofduck from theMiocene ofAustria. The genus is known from a nearly complete specimen preserved across multiple rock slabs and stems from a locality which may represent a possiblelagerstätte. It currently includes only a single species,L. hassleri.
The remains ofLavanttalornis were discovered in theLavanttal ofCarinthia in the south of Austria, which is known for the preservation of a diversefauna dating back to the Miocene. Although not the first nor only fossil duck discovered in Austria,Lavanttalornis stands out as being the best preserved and is counted among the few nearly complete fossil ducks known worldwide. The fossil is preserved in four slabs, designated LMK-Pal 7453a to LMK-Pal 7453d, which are housed in the paleontological collection of theLandesmuseum Kärnten (also known as the kärnten.museum).[1]
The scientific nameLavanttalornis means "bird from the Lavanttal", combining the German name for the area it was discovered in with theAncient Greek wordornis for bird. The species name derives from its discoverer,Andreas Hassler, a professionalveterinarian and amateurpaleontologist.
Lavanttalornis is recognized as a distinct genus on the basis of several traits which includes not just the features unique to this animal and the fact that it displays a mix of features otherwise observed in different types of modern ducks, but also the fact that it dates to the middle Miocene. This is significant due to the fact that modern genera of ducks only came to dominance during the late Miocene, with earlier Miocene ducks being typically recognized as distinct. It is however more difficult to determine which modern ducksLavanttalornis was most closely related to. Bochenski and colleagues argue, on the basis of the animal's anatomy, that it is unlikely to have belonged to any group of diving duck, effectively meaning thatLavanttalornis wasn't a member of thewhistling ducks,Oxyurinae andAythyni. The team also argues that it can be excluded from the Tadornini orshelducks, a group of non-diving ducks. Things are uncertain beyond that. WhileLavanttalornis shares some traits with modern members ofAnatini, these could be purely superficial similarities and one of the most diagnostic regions of thehumerus is not preserved.[1]
Several aspects of the skeletal anatomy ofLavanttalornis may give hints towards its ecology. Notably, features of thecoracoid, thehumerus and thepelvis all show similarities to the corresponding elements indabbling ducks, ducks that feed near the surface rather than diving. This is supported by the proportions of the individual bones to each other, with the ratio between humerus andcaprometacarpus as well as the ratio between carpometacarpus andcoracoid placing it alongside non-diving ducks. The third ratio examined in the type description, the brachial index or simply the ratio between humerus length andulna length, is less conclusive as the values are fairly conservative among all ducks, dabbling or diving. However, the authors that describedLavanttalornis point out that these results are only tentative and may be changed once more specimen and species of modern ducks are examined.[1]
Dabbling ducks, compared to diving ducks, have larger wings that allow for a more vertical take off, suited for landing on or leaving smaller bodies of water that may be broken up by vegetation. This ability would have been of use in the Miocene Lavanttal, which featured a variety of freshwater systems that were separated by humid and warm wetland forests within a basin that was more broadly surrounded by dryer low- and highlands as well as mountains. The preservation ofLavanttalornis as a mostly articulated and exceptionally complete fossil with only minor dislocations further suggests that the animal died in a calm environment without much underwater turbulation, allowing the carcass to decompose before being buried by sediment. A similarly well-preservedpasserine fossil is known from the same locality, the quality of which could hint at the fact that this may be aLagerstätte.[1]
