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Mergus

(Genus)

Overview

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Mergus1] is the of the typical mergansers, fish-eating ducks in the seaduck subfamily (Merginae). The Hooded Merganser, often termed Mergus cucullatus, is not of this genus but closely related. The other "aberrant" merganser, the Smew (Mergellus albellus), is phylogenetically closer to goldeneyes (Bucephala).

Although they are seaducks, most of the mergansers prefer riverine habitats, with only the Red-breasted Merganser being common at sea. These large fish-eaters have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey. Along with the Smew and Hooded Merganser, they are therefore often known as "sawbills". The goldeneyes, on the other hand, feed mainly on mollusks, and therefore have a more typical duck-bill. In other traits, however, the genera Mergus, Lophodytes, Mergellus and Bucephala are very similar; uniquely among all Anseriformes they do not have notches at the hind margin of their sternum, but holes surrounded by bone.[2]

Species

Some fossil members of this genus have been described:

The Early Oligocene booby "Sula" ronzoni was at first mistakenly believed to be a typical merganser[4]. A Late Badenian (13-12 million years ago) fossil sometimes attributed to Mergus, found in the the Sajóvölgyi Formation of Mátraszőlős, Hungary, probably belongs to Mergellus[5]. The affiliations of the mysterious "Anas" albae from the Messinian (c.7-5 million years ago) of Hungary are undetermined; it was initially believed to be a typical merganser too[6].

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Genus Mergus is further organized into finer groupings including:

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Etymology: Latin mergus, a catch-all term for sea-going birds (see Arnott, 1964)
  2. ^ Livezey (1986)
  3. ^ Mlíkovský (2002a)
  4. ^ Mlíkovský (2002b): p.264
  5. ^ Gál et al. (1998-99)
  6. ^ Mlíkovský (2002b): p.124

Sources

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Last Revised: September 22, 2009
2009/09/22 20:03:52