Palaelodus fossil map
Where fossils of Palaelodus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 33.9–5 million years ago (Rupelian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Palaelodidae |
| Named by | Milne-Edwards 1863 |
| Fossil records | 20 occurrences at 7 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Czech Republic, New Zealand, France, Egypt, United States, Moldova, Argentina |
| Rock formations | txn:99558, Bannockburn, Jebel Qatrani, Torreya, Ituzaingo |
About Palaelodus
Palaelodus is an extinct genus of bird of the Palaelodidae family, distantly related to flamingos. They were slender birds with long, thin legs and a long neck resembling their modern relatives, but likely lived very different lifestyles. They had straight, conical beaks not suited for filter feeding and legs showing some similarities to grebes. Their precise lifestyle is disputed, with researchers in the past suggesting they may have been divers, while more recent research suggests they may have used their stiff toes as paddles for swimming while feeding on insect larvae and snails. This behavior may have been key in later phoenicopteriforms developing filter-feeding bills. The genus includes between five and eight species and is found across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and possibly South America. However some argue that most of the taxa named from Europe simply represent differently sized individuals of one single species. Palaelodus was most abundant during the Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene periods, but isolated remains from Australia indicate that the genus, or at least a relative, survived until the Pleistocene.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Palaelodus (revision 1380559998), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q3501080.
