Phoenicopterus minor

Phoenicopterus minor is an extinct species of flamingo that lived during the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene epochs, roughly 10 to 2 million years ago. It was smaller than modern flamingos, with slender legs and a curved beak adapted for filtering food like algae and small invertebrates from the water. Fossil evidence suggests it inhabited ancient freshwater and saline lakes in parts of Asia, such as what is now Mongolia. Studying Phoenicopterus minor helps scientists understand the evolution and diversity of flamingos and their adaptation to different environments over millions of years.