By Scott Reid on @drawingwithdinosaurs
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Described By: Olson & James
Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Anseriformes, Anseres, Anatoidea, Anatidae
Talpanas, the Kauaâi Mole Duck, is decidedly one of the most interesting species of duck, for many reasons, but one of them being that itâs essentially a reverse Platypus - a duck that looks like a mammal. It was flightless, and like the platypus and the kiwi, it had tiny eyes set further back in its skull, giving it a very weird looking skull. In addition its skull was very flattened, and it had a long and broad bill, giving it a rather shovel looking appearance. Its eyes indicate that if it wasnât fully blind, it was very very close to it. It had short and stout legs, giving it a very squat appearance, leading to the hypothesis of its flightlessness. It had extremely large and developed nares, indicating it had an excellent sense of smell to make up for its lack of good sight. As such, it was essentially a Duck-Kiwi, in addition to a reverse Platypus. It lived about 600- years ago on the Hawaiâin Island of Kauaâi, and it was specifically found in the Makauwahi Cave. As such, it probably lived in dense forests, in caves and dark undergrowth, using its very sensitive bill and sense of smell to feed on insects and other invertebrates in the undergrowth. It was probably also nocturnal. Definitely one of the most interesting extinct ducks!
Buy the author a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/kulindadromeus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TalpanasÂ
http://cavereserve.org/blog/?p=139
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