The
Paakniwatavis holotype specimen,
FMNH PA725, was discovered in sediments of the
Green River Formation (Fossil Butte Member) near
Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The specimen consists of a nearly complete skeleton with the skull, preserved two-dimensionally on a single
slab. In 2024, Musser & Clarke
described Paakniwatavis grandei as a new genus and species of
basal anseriform birds based on these fossil remains. The
generic name,
Paakniwatavis, combines a reference to the
Paakniwat—the supernatural "Water Spirits" or "Water Babies" of
Shoshoni legend—with the
Latin word "
avis", meaning "bird, referencing the presumed aquatic habitat occupied by the species. The
specific name,
grandei, honors researcher
Lance Grande, the discoverer of the holotype specimen. == References ==