Hesperornis

/ˌhɛspərˈɔːrnɪs/ noun

Definition

An extinct aquatic bird from the Cretaceous period that could not fly, swimming like a penguin with wings reduced to tiny flippers.

Etymology

From Greek hesperus (evening/western) + ornis (bird). Named 'western bird' because fossils were found in western North America during the Cretaceous period.

Kelly Says

Hesperornis was like a prehistoric penguin living in ancient seas 80 million years ago—it had lost its ability to fly and evolved into a diving machine, proving that birds can evolve backward!

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