Mionetta is an extinct genus of duck from the Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene of Western and Central Europe (France, Germany and the Czech Republic), and possibly also Central Asia (Kazakhstan). Many of the species were originally assigned to the genus Anas.[1] It is among the best and earliest known fossil members of the family Anatidae, with the type species M. blanchardi known from thousands of specimens collected from the Early Miocene (Aquitanian) Saint-Gérand-le-Puy locality. Diagnostic characters include features of the humerus bone.[1] In the original 1988 description of the genus it was placed as one of two genera in the extinct subfamily Dendrocheninae alongside Dendrochen.[2] A 2008 study considered it to be a basal member of the subfamily Oxyurinae,[3] while a 2022 study placed in a basal position in Anatidae outside the split between Oxyurinae, Anatinae and Anserinae, though more closely related to these subfamilies than to Dendrocygna.[4]

Mionetta
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Middle Miocene
Mounted skeleton of M. blanchardi, Museum Histoire Naturelle, Paris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Superfamily: Anatoidea
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Mionetta
Livezey & Martin, 1988
Species
  • M. blanchardi (Milne-Edwards, 1863)
  • ?†M. consobrina (Milne-Edwards, 1868)
  • ?†M. eversa
  • ?†M. natator (Milne-Edwards, 1867)
  • ?†M. defossor

References

edit
  1. 1 2 Zelenkov, N. V. (2023). "Small Ducks (Aves: Anatidae) from the Early–Middle Miocene of Eurasia. 3. A Revision of Mionetta natator (Milne-Edwards, 1867)". Paleontological Journal. 57 (6): 659–670. Bibcode:2023PalJ...57..659Z. doi:10.1134/S0031030123060114.
  2. Livezey, Bradley C.; Martin, Larry D. (1988). "The systematic position of the Miocene anatid Anas [?] blanchardi Milne-Edwards". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 8 (2): 196–211. Bibcode:1988JVPal...8..196L. doi:10.1080/02724634.1988.10011698.
  3. Worthy, Trevor H.; Lee, Michael S. Y. (May 2008). "AFFINITIES OF MIOCENE WATERFOWL (ANATIDAE: MANUHERIKIA , DUNSTANETTA AND MIOTADORNA ) FROM THE ST BATHANS FAUNA, NEW ZEALAND". Palaeontology. 51 (3): 677–708. Bibcode:2008Palgy..51..677W. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00778.x. ISSN 0031-0239.
  4. Worthy, Trevor H.; Scofield, R. Paul; Salisbury, Steven W.; Hand, Suzanne J.; De Pietri, Vanesa L.; Blokland, Jacob C.; Archer, Michael (February 2022). "A new species of Manuherikia (Aves: Anatidae) provides evidence of faunal turnover in the St Bathans Fauna, New Zealand". Geobios. 70: 87–107. Bibcode:2022Geobi..70...87W. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2021.08.002.