Hesperonis

Hesperornis seems to have been a prehistoric cross between a penguin and grebe. Although there were many flight capable birds during the Campanian, Hesperornis seems to have become secondarily flightless. This is indicated by the greatly reduced wings that were little more than stubs. However, although they were useless for flight, they would greatly enhance the birds streamlining as it dived underwater. 
      When underwater, Hesperornis was probably a very graceful and agile swimmer, its feet pushing it down under the water, while the long neck would easily allow Hesperornis to pluck fish from their hiding places. But because the legs and feet were angled to provide maximum propulsion in the water, Hesperornis would have been very cumbersome on the land, perhaps only being able to shuffle along.
      The beak of Hesperornis is well adapted for catching fish, with sharp teeth running the length of the lower jaw, and at the back of the upper. A good example of convergent evolution is the fact that the teeth are not in sockets like their dinosaur ancestors, but in a longitudinal groove that ran down the beak. Although not related to Hesperornis, or even birds in general, this same tooth holding groove is also seen in the mosasaurs that swam the Cretaceous seas. On a quick side note, Hesperornis were occasional prey to mosasaurs, as evidenced by Hesperornis fossils found within what was once the gut of a Tylosaurus. Another adaptation for the beak of Hesperornis are small holes in the palate that allow the lower teeth to slot into them when the beak is closed.
      Although the majority of Hesperornis remains are known from seas such as the Western Interior Seaway, some have also come from freshwater deposits, possibly following river systems as they searched for fish.
Category:Birds
Category:Extinct Animals
Category:Cretaceous Animals
Category:Kansas Animals
Category:Mesozoic Animals