Evolution and paleontology

Grebes are ancient, highly specialized diving birds with no obvious close relatives, living or fossil. The earliest fossil is possibly Neogaeornis wetzeli, a diving bird that dates back to the Late Cretaceous Epoch (about 80 million years ago) of Chile. Statements to the effect that N. wetzeli was “primitive” or “reptilian” are erroneously based on a superficial resemblance to the toothed Hesperornithiformes (see Hesperornis), an order of birds from the Cretaceous Period (146 million–65.5 million years ago). In addition, a fossil grebe, Podiceps oligoceanus, uncovered from late Oligocene deposits (about 25 million years ago) in Oregon, bears many similarities to modern species.

Taxonomy

Grebes comprise a single family, Podicipedidae, of the order Podicipediformes. There are approximately 22 species, usually placed in five genera: Aechmophorus (the western grebe), Podiceps (most species), Podilymbus (the pied-billed grebes), Rollandia (Rolland’s and short-winged grebes), and Tachybaptus (dabchicks).

The order and family are defined on the basis of structural features, especially the form of the nostrils, the absence of certain processes in the skull, and the absence of the ambiens muscle in the leg. The knee process consists of a large pyramidal patella (kneecap) and a large projection on the tibia (the main bone of the lower leg). The wing is diastataxic (that is, there is a space where the fifth secondary feather is located in many birds), with 12 primaries, seven of which are attached to the metacarpus (midhand). The oil gland is tufted and has two openings. Only the left carotid artery is present. The intestinal caeca (blind pouches) are small.

The names Colymbus, Colymbidae, and Colymbiformes were formerly applied to the grebes in North America and to the loons (Gavia) in Europe.