Dinosaurs & Prehistory - Other prehistoric animals - Hesperornis - Birds - Prehistoric life - Cretaceous
What did Hesperornis primarily use to propel itself through the water?
Correct!
Hesperornis was a large, flightless water bird of the Late Cretaceous. Its wings were severely atrophied, while its hind legs were exceptionally strong and adapted for swimming. Anatomical studies therefore classify Hesperornithiformes as highly specialized foot-driven divers. Unlike penguins, Hesperornis did not generate its main underwater propulsion with its wings. Its strong legs took over this task - similar to the basic principle of today's loons or grebes. The development of these extreme diving adaptations in Hesperornis was accompanied by the complete loss of the ability to fly. Even more unusual was its skull: Hesperornis had real teeth. Studies of its fossil dentition show thin enamel and a special attachment of the teeth in the jaw - a combination that has completely disappeared in modern birds.
Hesperornis was a flightless diving bird of the Late Cretaceous whose main propulsion in the water came from its powerful hind legs.
