Parahesperornis
PAR-uh-hes-per-OR-nis /ˌpærəhespərˈɔːrnɪs/
Accepted genus
near Hesperornis ("near the western bird")
- para · Greek · near, beside
- hesperos · Greek · western
- ornis · Greek · bird
The name combines the Greek "para" (near, beside) with Hesperornis, the name of a related toothed diving bird. Hesperornis itself means "western bird". The name signals that Parahesperornis is a close relative of Hesperornis.
- Named by
- Martin
- Year named
- 1984
- Period
- Late Cretaceous
- Stage
- Santonian
- Found in
- Niobrara Formation, Kansas, USA
A flightless, toothed, foot-propelled diving bird in the Hesperornithiformes. It is an avian dinosaur in the cladistic sense (birds are living theropod dinosaurs), but it is not a non-avian dinosaur. The type species is P. alexi. The stage given is approximate.