Plotopteridae

Plotopterids Temporal range: Eocene – Miocene ~
A fossil sternum of Copepteryx from the Oligocene epoch of Japan.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Suliformes
Family:	†Plotopteridae Howard, 1969
Genera
†Empeirodytes †Phocavis †Plotopterum †Stemec †Stenornis †Tonsalinae Mayr & Goedert, 2018 †Copepteryx †Fucadytes †Hokkaidornis †Klallamornis †Olympidytes †Tonsala

Reconstruction of Copepteryx.

Plotopteridae is an extinct family of flightless seabirds that lived in the Northern Pacific from the Eocene to Miocene epoch.

Plotopterids ranged in size from that of a large cormorant, such as a Brandt's cormorant (Urile penicillatus), to very large sizes. Some species had femur lengths two times longer than the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). They had shortened wings that were optimised for underwater wing-propelled pursuit diving similar to penguins or the now extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis). They had a body skeleton similar to that of the darter.