Brodavis

Name: Brodavis.
Phonetic: Brod-a-vis.
Named By: Larry D.‭ ‬Martin,‭ ‬Evgeny N.‭ ‬Kurochkin‭ & ‬Tim T.‭ ‬Tokaryk‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Aves,‭ ‬Hesperornithiformes.
Species: B.‭ ‬americanus‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬baileyi,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬mongoliensis,‭ ‬B.‭ ‬varneri.
Diet: Piscivore.
Size: Unavailable.
Known locations: Canada,‭ ‬Saskatchewan‭ ‬-‭ ‬Frenchman Formation,‭ ‬Mongolia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Nemegt Formation,‭ ‬and USA,‭ ‬South Dakota‭ ‬-‭ ‬Hell Creek Formation,‭ ‬Sharon Springs Formation.
Time period: Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial remains.

       Brodavis was a genus of hesperornithiform that lived in both Asia and North America towards the end of the Cretaceous.‭ ‬Like relative genera,‭ ‬Brodavis would have dived below the water and used well developed feet to swim through the water after fish.‭ ‬What is perhaps most interesting though is that Brodavis was the first hesperornithiform bird that we knew of to have actually hunted in freshwater ecosystems rather than sea water.‭
       Because the bones of Brodavis do not have the same level of pachyostosis‭ (‬thickening of the bones‭) ‬as other hesperornithiformes,‭ ‬the genus has been speculated to have some volant‭ (‬flight‭) ‬abilities.‭ ‬This is a plausible argument given the wide distribution of the genus and obvious advantage of being able to reach new bodies of freshwater.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬it should also be remembered that fresh water does not have the same level of buoyancy as salt water.‭ ‬Therefore,‭ ‬if Brodavis only hunted in freshwater,‭ ‬their bones would not need to be as dense as their salt water relatives in order to sink their bodies below the surface of the water.

Further reading
-‭ ‬A new evolutionary lineage of diving birds from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Larry D.‭ ‬Martin,‭ ‬Evgeny N.‭ ‬Kurochkin‭ & ‬Tim T.‭ ‬Tokaryk‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.



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