Dasornis toliapicus
Dasornis toliapicus
Summary
Dasornis toliapicus was another large pseudotoothed seabird of the London Clay. Like other pelagornithids, it possessed a long beak edged with bony projections that functioned as gripping structures and a flight skeleton adapted to sustained marine travel.
It probably captured fish and squid or similar soft bodied prey from the sea surface. The general soaring seabird ecology is a strong inference from pelagornithid anatomy, although the exact foraging method is not directly observed. Historical specimens accumulated several names before modern work brought the material into Dasornis.
Quick Identification
Look for: pelagornithid jaw material with tooth like bony projections or diagnostic large pseudotoothed bird skull and postcranial elements. Distinguishing D. toliapicus from D. emuinus on an isolated fragment requires specialist comparison.
Diagnostic Features
- The jaw margin carries fixed bony pseudoteeth rather than true dental tissues.
- The cranial material has the characteristic pelagornithid construction of a long, lightweight marine bird skull.
- The species is separable from D. emuinus by details of the diagnostic cranial and associated material, not merely by finding a large bone.
- Postcranial bones are thin walled and adapted to flight despite the bird’s large body size.
- Historical material named Odontopteryx toliapica and Macrodontopteryx oweni belongs within the modern species concept.