Eopelecanus aegyptiacus El Adli et al., 2021 (new genus and species)
(Type tibiotarsus [fused shin and ankle bones] of Eopelecanus aegyptiacus, from El Adli et al., 2021)
Meaning of name: Eopelecanus = dawn pelican; aegyptiacus = from Egypt
Age: Eocene (Priabonian), about 36 million years ago
Where found: Birket Qarun Formation, Faiyum, Egypt
How much is known: A nearly complete right tibiotarsus (fused shin and ankle bones).
Notes: Eopelecanus is notable for being the oldest known pelican. It was about the same size as the smaller modern pelican species, such as the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), which are nonetheless quite large by the standards of flying birds.
Modern pelicans are found on all continents except Antarctica, but they are closely related to the primarily African shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) and hamerkop (Scopus umbretta). The discovery of the Egyptian Eopelecanus may support the hypothesis that the group uniting pelicans, shoebills, and hamerkops originated in Africa.
Reference: El Adli, J.J., J.A. Wilson Mantilla, M.S.M. Antar, and P.D. Gingerich. 2021. The earliest recorded fossil pelican, recovered from the late Eocene of Wadi Al-Hitan, Egypt. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2021.1903910
