What did mallard ducks evolve from?

The mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that belongs to the family Anatidae. Mallards are native to North America, Europe, and Asia, but they have also been introduced to other parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and South America. Mallard ducks are believed to have evolved from the common ancestor of all waterfowl, which was an aquatic bird that lived about 100 million years ago. This common ancestor was likely similar to a modern grebe, and it probably lived in shallow waters near the edge of lakes and rivers. Over time, the common ancestor of waterfowl evolved into several different groups of ducks, geese, and swans. The mallard duck is thought to have evolved from a group of ducks called the "dabbling ducks," which are characterized by their distinctive feeding behavior of tipping their bodies into the water and straining food out of the mud with their bills.