†Larus lacus Temporal range:
Pliocene
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Charadriiformes |
Family: | Laridae |
Genus: | Larus |
Species: | †L. lacus
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Binomial name | |
†Larus lacus Emslie, 1995
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Larus lacus is an extinct species of gull that lived in North America during the Late Pliocene. [1]
The genus name Larus derives from Ancient Greek, referring to a seabird. The species name lacus derives from Latin, meaning "lake or standing body of water, in reference to the lagoonal deposits at the type locality." [1]
Larus lacus specimens stem from Sarasota County, Florida. [1] The humerus of Larus lacus most closely resembles the Hartlaub's gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii, formerly Larus hartlaubii), black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus; formerly Larus ridibundus), brown-hooded gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis; formerly Larus maculipennis), and Franklin's gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan; formerly Larus pipixcan). [1]