Nannopterum Explained

Nannopterum is a genus of cormorant comprising three species. They are found throughout the Americas, hence the common name American cormorants.

These species were formerly classified in the genus Phalacrocorax. A molecular phylogenetic study of the cormorants published in 2014 found that these three species formed a clade that was sister to the genus Leucocarbo.^[1] To create monophyletic genera, the three species were moved the resurrected genus Nannopterum that had been introduced in 1899 by English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe to accommodate the flightless cormorant.^{[2] [3] [4]} The genus Nannopterum is thought to have split from Leucocarbo between 6.7 - 8.0 million years ago.^[1]

The genus name Nannopterum combines the Ancient Greek nannos meaning "dwarf" with pteron meaning "wing".^[5] This name was coined for the flightless cormorant, which does indeed have small wings. Genetic studies have found that the neotropic and double-crested cormorants form a clade with the flightless cormorant, and they are thus placed together in the genus Nannopterum despite both species having normal-sized wings and full flight capabilities.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Kennedy . M. . Spencer . H.G. . 2014 . Classification of the cormorants of the world . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 79 . 249–257 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.020. 24994028 . 2014MolPE..79..249K .
2. Book: Sharpe, Richard Bowdler . Richard Bowdler Sharpe . 1899 . A Hand-List of the Genera and Species of Birds . 1 . London . Trustees of the British Museum . 235 .
3. Chesser . R.T. . Billerman . S.M. . Burns . K.J. . Cicero . C. . Dunn . J.L. . Hernández-Baños . B.E. . Kratter . A.W. . Lovette . I.J. . Mason . N.A. . Rasmussen . P.C. . Remsen . J.V.J. . Stotz . D.F. . Winker . K. . 2021 . Sixty-second Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds . Ornithology . 138 . ukab037 . 10.1093/ornithology/ukab037 . free .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . August 2022 . Storks, frigatebirds, boobies, darters, cormorants . IOC World Bird List Version 12.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 23 November 2022.
5. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 265 .