Vegavis geitononesos and notopothousa, new bird species from Late Cretaceous of Antarctica (free pdf)
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Ben Creisler
Jan 30, 2026, 11:47:22 AM (3 days ago) Jan 30
to DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com
Ben Creisler
A new paper:
Free pdf:
Vegavis geitononesos sp. nov.
Vegavis notopothousa sp. nov.
Facundo Irazoqui, Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, Ariana Paulina-Carabajal, Paula Bona and Nahuel Vega (2026)
New Species of Vegavis (Neornithes) from Antarctica Highlights Unexpected Cretaceous Antarctic Diversity
Diversity 18(2): 82
doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/d18020082
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/18/2/82
A fossil bird (MLP-PV 15-I-7-52) from Marambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctica, is described, representing the best-preserved skull reported for a Cretaceous neornithine and associated postcranial elements. Morphological analysis of the articular portion of the mandible, the pterygoid, and the femur supports the assignment of this specimen to the genus Vegavis. The palatine morphology exhibits a combination of plesiomorphic and autapomorphic characters within Neognathae. Substantial differences in the size relationship between the ala preacetabularis and the femur, as well as differences between the femora of V. iaai and MLP-PV 15-I-7-52, indicate that the latter represents a new species of Vegavis. In addition, a third species of Vegavis is proposed based on the AMNH FARB 30899 specimen, previously assigned to V. iaai, which exhibits substantial differences with the above-mentioned specimens, particularly in the mandibular morphology.
Free pdf:
Vegavis geitononesos sp. nov.
Vegavis notopothousa sp. nov.
Facundo Irazoqui, Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, Ariana Paulina-Carabajal, Paula Bona and Nahuel Vega (2026)
New Species of Vegavis (Neornithes) from Antarctica Highlights Unexpected Cretaceous Antarctic Diversity
Diversity 18(2): 82
doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/d18020082
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/18/2/82
A fossil bird (MLP-PV 15-I-7-52) from Marambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctica, is described, representing the best-preserved skull reported for a Cretaceous neornithine and associated postcranial elements. Morphological analysis of the articular portion of the mandible, the pterygoid, and the femur supports the assignment of this specimen to the genus Vegavis. The palatine morphology exhibits a combination of plesiomorphic and autapomorphic characters within Neognathae. Substantial differences in the size relationship between the ala preacetabularis and the femur, as well as differences between the femora of V. iaai and MLP-PV 15-I-7-52, indicate that the latter represents a new species of Vegavis. In addition, a third species of Vegavis is proposed based on the AMNH FARB 30899 specimen, previously assigned to V. iaai, which exhibits substantial differences with the above-mentioned specimens, particularly in the mandibular morphology.
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