Genyornis enters the LRT alongside Balaeniceps, the shoebill stork
Short one today.
Genyornis (Fig 1) enters the LRT alongside Balaeniceps (Fig 1), the shoebill stork both derived from the hammerkop, Scopus (Fig 2). Both extant taxa are volant birds that prowl the ground. Both were excluded from the authors’ cladogram.
That means Genyornis is not a giant flightless goose.
Dromornis has not yet entered the LRT, pending better data availability.
Figure 1. Skulls of Genyornis and Balaeniceps compared. These two nest together in the LRT.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93037″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Skulls of Genyornis and Balaeniceps compared. These two nest together in the LRT. ” width=”584″ height=”559″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg?w=584&h=559 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg?w=150&h=144 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg?w=300&h=287 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/genyornis-balaeniceps-skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Skulls of Genyornis and Balaeniceps compared. These two nest together in the LRT. Note the retraction of the naris, the loss of the antorbital fenestra and the robust postfrontal + postorbital. Note the large cranium and retroarticular process.
The authors
mentioned Balaeniceps once in their text. Scopus was not mentioned.
Figure 2. Scopus umbretta, the extant African hammerkop.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg?w=260″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93041″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Scopus umbretta, the extant African hammerkop. ” width=”584″ height=”674″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg?w=584&h=674 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg?w=130&h=150 130w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg?w=260&h=300 260w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/scopus_umbretta_hammerkop_skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Scopus umbretta, the extant African hammerkop. The quadratojugals here are similar to those in Genyornis.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
McInerney PL, Blokland JC and Worthy TH 2024. Skull morphology of the enigmatic Genyornis newtoni Stirling and Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology, and evolution in the context of Galloanserae. Historical Biology, 36(6), 1093–1165. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/05/28/genyornis-enters-the-lrt-alongside-balaeniceps-the-shoebill-stork/
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