A skull of a new pelecaniform bird from the Middle Eocene of Messel, Germany

• Autorzy: Mayr G
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

A skull of a new pelecaniform bird is described from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany). Masillastega rectirostris gen. et sp. nov. is tentatively referred to the Sulidae (boobies and gannets). If this assignment is correct, the new taxon would represent the earliest fossil record of the family, preceding Sula ronzoni Milne−Edwards, 1867 from the lowermost Oligocene of France by about 15 million years. Masillastega rectirostris most distinctly differs from extant Sulidae in the proportionally longer beak which indicates that the Eocene taxon was not adapted to plunge−diving. Contrary to extant Sulidae, which are exclusively marine birds, Masillastega rectirostris was found in a freshwater deposit. It is the first pelecaniform bird known from Messel and one of the few large birds discovered at this site.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

bird; Masillastega rectirostris; pelecaniform bird; aquatic bird; Eocene; Sulidae; Germany; Pelecaniformes; paleontology

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
• Rocznik: 2002
• Tom: 47
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.507-512,fig.

Twórcy

autor

Mayr G

Bibliografia

• Baumel, J.J. and Witmer, L.M. 1993. Osteologia. In: J.J. Baumel, A.S. King, J.E. Breazile, H.E. Evans, and J.C. Vanden Berge (eds.), Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina Anatomica Avium. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 23: 45–132.
• Becker, J.J. 1986. Reidentification of “Phalacrocorax” subvolans Brodkorb as the earliest record of Anhingidae. Auk 103: 804–808.
• Carboneras, C. 1992. Family Sulidae (Gannets and Boobies). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal (eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World 1, 312–325. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
• Cracraft, J. 1985. Monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of the Pelecaniformes: a numerical cladistic analysis. Auk 102: 834–853.
• Darga, R., Böhme, M., Göhlich, U.B., and Rössner, G. 1999. Reste höherer Wirbeltiere aus dem Alttertiär des Alpenvorlandes bei Siegsdorf/Oberbayern. Mitteilungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und historische Geologie 39: 91–114.
• Elliott, A. 1992. Family Scopidae (Hamerkop). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal (eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World 1, 430–435. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
• Harrison, C.J.O. 1978. Fossil boobies and gannets. In: J.B. Nelson, The Sulidae—Gannets and Boobies, 974–977. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Harrison, C.J.O. and Walker, C.A. 1976a. A reappraisal of Prophaethon shrubsolei Andrews (Aves). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Geology 27: 1–30.
• Harrison, C.J.O. and Walker, C.A. 1976b. A review of the bony−toothed birds (Odontopterygiformes). Tertiary Research Special Paper 2: 1–62.
• Lambrecht, K. 1929. Mesozoische und tertiäre Vogelreste aus Siebenbürgen. In: E. Csiki (ed.), Xe Congrés International de Zoologie, 1262–1275. Stephaneum, Budapest.
• Livezey, B.C. and Zusi, R.L. 2001. Higher−order phylogenetics of modern Aves based on comparative anatomy. Netherlands Journal of Zoology 51 (2): 179–205.
• Mayr, G. 2000a. Die Vögel der Grube Messel – ein Einblick in die Vogelwelt Mitteleuropas vor 49 Millionen Jahren.Natur und Museum130: 365–378.
• Mayr, G. 2000b. Aremarkable new “gruiform” bird from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Hessen, Germany). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 74: 187–194.
• Mayr, G. 2001. A cormorant from the late Oligocene of Enspel, Germany (Aves, Pelecaniformes, Phalacrocoracidae). Senckenbergiana lethaea 81: 329–333.
• Mayr, G. and Smith, R. 2002. A new record of the Prophaethontidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) from the Middle Eocene of Belgium. Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique 72: 135–138.
• Mourer−Chauviré, C. 1982. Les oiseaux fossiles des Phosphorites du Quercy (Eocène supérieur à Oligocène supérieur): Implications paléobiogéographiques. In: E. Buffetaut, P. Janvier, J.−C. Rage, and P. Tassy (eds.), Phylogénie et paléobiogéographie. Livre jubilaire en l’honneur de Robert Hoffstetter. Geobios, Mémoire Spécial 6: 413–426.
• Mourer−Chauviré, C. 1996. Paleogene Avian Localities of France. In: J. Mlíkovský (ed.), Tertiary Avian Localities of Europe. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geologica 39: 567–598.
• Olson, S.L. 1977. ALower Eocene Frigatebird from the Green River Formation of Wyoming (Pelecaniformes: Fregatidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 35: 1–33.
• Olson, S.L. 1985. The fossil record of birds. In: D.S. Farner, J.R. King, and K.C. Parkes (eds.),Avian Biology 8: 79–238. Academic Press, New York.
• Olson, S.L. 1994. Agiant Presbyornis(Aves: Anseriformes) and other birds from the Paleocene Aquia Formation of Maryland and Virginia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107: 429–435.
• Olson, S.L. and Hasegawa, Y. 1976. Anew genus and two new species of gigantic Plotopteridae from Japan (Aves: Pelecaniformes). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 16: 742–751.
• Olson, S.L. and Warheit, K.I. 1988. Anew genus for Sula abbotti. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 108: 9–12.
• Peters, D.S. 1988. Die Messel−Vögel – eine Landvogelfauna. In: S. Schaal and W. Ziegler (eds.), Messel – Ein Schaufenster in die Geschichte der Erde und des Lebens, 135–151. Kramer, Frankfurt a.M.
• Schaal, S. and Ziegler, W. 1988. Messel – Ein Schaufenster in die Geschichte der Erde und des Lebens. 315 pp. Kramer, Frankfurt a.M.
• Sibley, C.G. and Ahlquist, J.E. 1990. Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution. Yale University Press, New Haven.
• Siegel−Causey, D. 1997. Phylogeny of the Pelecaniformes: Molecular Systematics of a Privative Group. In: D.P. Mindell (ed.), Avian Molecular Evolution and Systematics, 159–171. Academic Press, San Diego.