Protodontopteryx
| Protodontopteryx Temporal range: Early Paleocene, ~ | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | †Odontopterygiformes |
| Family: | †Pelagornithidae |
| Genus: | †Protodontopteryx Mayr et al., 2019 |
| Type species | |
| †Protodontopteryx ruthae Mayr et al., 2019 | |
Protodontopteryx is a genus of pelagornithid (pseudotooth bird) that lived in New Zealand roughly 62 million years ago, during the early Paleocene epoch. It contains one species, Protodontopteryx ruthae. Protodontopteryx is the smallest, oldest, and most basal pelagornithid discovered.