Cygnus equitum

Cygnus equitum is an extinct dwarf swan (Anatidae) from Quaternary deposits of Malta and Sicily, Italy, one of the remarkable island dwarfs of the Mediterranean Pleistocene. Approximately half the size of a mute swan, it is believed to have evolved small body size through insular dwarfism on Mediterranean island ecosystems with limited resources. A grazing herbivore, it fed on aquatic and terrestrial vegetation. It vanished following the arrival of Neolithic farmers approximately 7,000 years ago.