Polarornis fossil map
Where fossils of Polarornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 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 66 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 | 72.2–66 million years ago (Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Vegaviidae |
| Named by | Chatterjee 2002 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Antarctica |
| Rock formations | López de Bertodano |
About Polarornis
Polarornis is a genus of prehistoric bird, either a possible member of the Vegaviidae or Aequornithes. It contains a single species Polarornis gregorii, known from incomplete remains of one individual found on Seymour Island, Antarctica, in rocks which are dated to the Late Cretaceous (López de Bertodano Formation, about 66 Ma).
The discovery of Polarornis gregorii was first announced by Sankar Chatterjee in 1989, but he did not describe and officially name the species until 2002. The name Polarornis had been announced unofficially several years prior to its official publication, in Chatterjee's 1997 book The Rise of Birds. It was about the size of a common loon, with an estimated body length of 60 cm (2.0 ft) and weighing up to 2.8–4 kg (6.2–8.8 lb).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Polarornis (revision 1377153503), 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: Q7209183.
