Aldiomedes ("Al's albatross") is an extinct genus of albatross from the Pliocene Tangahoe Formation of New Zealand.
Discovery and Naming[]
Its name originates from Alastair "Al" Johnson, the paleontologist who initially found the remains, and Diomedes, the Greek mythological figure after which the albatross family was named.
Description[]
It is distinguished from other albatross species by its extremely narrow beak, which is not present in any modern albatross species. It is theorized that this beak morphology resulted from a more piscivorous diet in contrast to the squid-based diet of modern albatrosses. The discovery of this genus suggests that the extinction of several species of smaller-sized albatrosses resulted from changes in seabird diversity during the Pliocene.