Hesperornis
(HES
PER
ORN
IS)
Hesperornis was the
was the largest of the
flightless diving birds of the
late Cretaceous. Unlike
Penguins, which use their legs
and wings to propel them
through the water,
Hesperornis used only
its strong legs and feet since
its small wings were of little
use. The position of its hip
bones and hind legs suggest
Hesperornis could not
have stood up on solid
ground.
Hesperornis lived in
the open ocean, managing to
survive among larger predators
such as mosasaurs and sharks.
At times, Hesperornis
made a tasty meal for
mosasaurs. Fossilized
Hesperornis bones have
been found in the stomach area
of fossilized mosasaur
skeletons.
