Pelagornis

sea bird

• pelagos · Greek · sea
• ornis · Greek · bird

The name combines the Greek words for "sea" and "bird". It refers to this giant seabird's oceanic lifestyle. Fossils show it was a large, long-winged bird that soared over the open sea. It had bony tooth-like projections along its beak.

Named by

Lartet

Year named

1857

Found in

Type species P. miocaenus from France; P. sandersi from South Carolina, USA

Pelagornis is a genus of extinct "pseudo-toothed" seabirds (family Pelagornithidae). It is not a non-avian dinosaur. Birds are technically dinosaurs in the cladistic sense, but this animal lived long after the non-avian dinosaurs died out. P. sandersi, named in 2014, is one of the largest flying birds known, with a wingspan of about 6 to 7 metres.