Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 46 Number 4 Article 22

10-31-1986

Fossil of the Oreana local fauna (Blancan), Owyhee County, Idaho

Jonathan J. Becker University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

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Recommended Citation Becker, Jonathan J. (1986) "Fossil birds of the Oreana local fauna (Blancan), Owyhee County, Idaho," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 46 : No. 4 , Article 22. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol46/iss4/22

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FOSSIL BIRDS OF THE OREANA LOCAL FAUNA (BLANCAN), OWYHEE COUNTY, IDAHO

Jonathan J. Becker

Abstract. —The Oreana local fauna (Blancan) occurs in exposures of the Glenns Ferry Formation in Owyhee County, Idaho. Fossil birds present include Phalacrocorax cf. P. idahensis, Pelecanus cf. P. halieus, an indeterminate anatid, an indeterminate falconid, two species oiOtus, and a species oiColaptes larger than modern C. auratus that provides the earliest record of a colaptine .

= The Oreana local fauna is a Blancan ( ontology collections of the IMNH. Pliocene) assemblage of vertebrate fossils Measurements were made with Kanon dial from two localities in southwestern Idaho near calipers, accurate to 0.05 mm and rounded to the town of Oreana, Owyhee County (IMNH the nearest 0.1 mm. BMDP statistical soft- 74001 in Sec 25 and IMNH 74004 (=^IMNH ware program BMDPID was used to calculate 78031) in Sec 1, T4S, RIW; 43 degrees 02' N simple descriptive statistics (Dixon 1981). 24' Lat. , 116 degrees W Long. , Oreana Quad- Computations were made at the Northeast rangle, U.S. Geologic Survey 7.5 minute se- Regional Data Center (NERDC) at the Uni- ries topographical map, 1949). Fossils from versity of Florida, Gainesville. Anatomical both localities come from exposures of the terminology follows Baumel et al. (1979). Glenns Ferry Formation (Malde et al. 1963) (= Oreana Formation of Anderson 1965) and Systematic Paleontology correlate with the Hagerman local fauna, ap- Order Pelecaniformes Sharpe, 1891 proximately 75 miles to the east (Conrad Family Phalacrocoracidae (Bonaparte, 1853) 1980). Smith et al. (1982) discuss the bio- Phalacrocorax Brisson, 1760 stratigraphy of fishes in this formation. Phalacrocorax ci P. idahensis {Mdrsh, 1870) IMNH 74001 has produced many thou- sands of complete, disarticulated skeletal ele- Material —IMNH 74001/26527, complete ments of fish, along with a few mammal and left carpometacarpus; IMNH 74004/30221, remains from thick lenses of fine sand proximal end of left ulna; 74004/30223, proxi- interbedded with clays. This locality possibly mal end of right ulna. Tentatively referred. represents a shoreline with swash accumula- 74004/30224, partial upper mandible; 74004/ tions (Schaeffer 1972). Vertebrate fossil re- 30222, proximal end of left ulna; 74001/30217, mains are much more rare from IMNH 74004. right scapula. More detailed information on each locality is Remarks. —Although originally described available from IMNH upon request. from the Hemphillian Chalk Hills Formation (Marsh 1870), this species is better known from the Blancan Hagerman local fauna (Wet- Materials and Methods more 1933, Brodkorb 1958, Murray 1970). Comparative material of modern species The referred upper mandible is short and

examined is in collections of the American heavy, having a concave dorsal surface, char- Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the acteristic of the subgenus Phalacrocorax Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH), (Howard 1946). The ulnae are within the Pierce Brodkorb (PB), and the National Mu- range of P. idahensis or are slightly larger seum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institu- (Murray 1970). tion (USNM). All fossil specimens from the The complete carpometacarpus is larger Oreana local fauna are in the vertebrate pale- than any reported by Murray (1970), eliminat-

Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida 326U. Present address: Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. 20560.

763 764 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 46, No. 4

deviation Table 1. Measurements of humeri ofOtus asio . Data are mean ± standard (number) and observed range. Measurements are TWSHAFT, transverse width humeral shaft; DSHAFT, depth of humeral shaft; TWDIST trans- verse width of distal end of humerus; DDIST, depth of distal end of humerus. , .

October 1986 BECKER: Idaho Fossil Birds 765

asio from the Hagerman local fauna. The Din-opium, and some species o{ Picoides); (6) above specimen may represent the same spe- interorbital constriction narrow (similar to

cies. Celeus and Veniliornis ; wide in , Dendrocopus, and Sphyrapicus; intermedi- Otus sp. (Kaup, 1852) ate in other genera examined); (7) narrow Material.—IMNH 74001/30216, nearly width between nares (similar to Melanerpes complete right tarsometatarsus with caudal and Dinopium, wide in Sphyrapicus, Den- portion of trochlea IV missing. drocopus, Picoides, Veniliornis, Camp-

Description. —Similar in morphology to ephilus, and ; intermediate in female O. flammeolus (USNM 554125) but other genera examined); (8) basisphenoid re- much smaller (skeletons of males of O. gion inflated (not inflated in Veniliornis, Dry- flammeolus unavailable). Caudal projection of ocopus, Ca^npephilus, or Chrysocolaptes , in- process on trochlea II more developed in fos- flated in other genera examined); and (9) otic

sil. Calcaneal ridge not as inclined laterally. region inflated (not inflated in Veniliornis, Remarks. —The paucity of skeletons of Campephilus or Chrysocolaptes); inflated to modern species of small owls makes it impos- slightly inflated in other genera. sible to determine the exact systematic rela- Colaptes sp. tionships of this fossil specimen. Material.—IMNH 74001/30218, cranium Order (Meyer and Wolf, 1810) lacking entire upper jaw, pterygoids, and Suborder Pici Meyer and Wolf, 1810 quadrates. Family Picidae Vigors, 1825 Description.—IMNH 30218 is distin- Subfamily (Vigors, 1825) guished from Colaptes auratus and C. Tribe Colaptini melanochloros by larger size; from C. campes- Genus Colaptes Vigors, 1826 tris by having a more developed postorbital Generic diagnosis. —The skull of Co- process and a deeper, well-defined temporal laptes may be distinguished from other gen- fossa; from C. pitius by having a more bulbous era of New World Picinae by the following prominentia cerebellaris and a more caudo-

combination of characters: (1) Interorbital rostrally oriented temporal fossa; and from C. septum completely ossified (similar to Sphy- rupicola by being smaller and having more

rapicus, Campethera, Piculus, Celeus, and distinct hyoid grooves. Colaptes { = Neso- all Dinopium ; incompletely ossified or perforate celeus) fernandinae is very distinct from

in Xiphidiopicus, Dendrocopus, Picoides, Ve- other species of Colaptes . In this species the niliornis, , Campe-philus, Picus, dorsum of the skull is dimpled, hyoid grooves

and Chrysocolaptes ; variable in species of deep, prominentia cerebellaris poorly devel-

Melanerpes); (2) dorsal surface of brain case oped, and the nuchal crest is well developed. slightly dimpled (heavily dimpled in Dryoco- See Table 2 for measurements. pus, Campephilus, Picus, and Chrysoco- Remarks. —North American Neogene laptes; smooth in Melanerpes, Sphyrapicus include Palaeonerpes shorti and Xiphidiopicus, slightly dimpled in other Cracraft and Morony 1969, based on a single

genera examined); (3) supraorbital ridge distal end of a tibiotarsus from deposits equiv- present (absent to slightly developed in alent to the upper part of the Valentine For- Melanerpes, Campethera, Dendrocopus, Pi- mation (early Clarendonian). Cracraft and cus, and Dinopium; present in other genera Morony (1969) suggest that the affinities of

examined); (4) groove for hyoids present (simi- Palaeonerpes are likely to be with the lar to Campethera, Piculus, Dryocopus, melanerpine woodpeckers rather than with Campephilus, Picus, and Dinopium; absent to genera such as Dendrocopos, Dryocopus, or slightly developed in other genera examined); Colaptes

(5) fi-ontals flat to concave (similar to Melaner- Pliopicus brodkorbi Feduccia and Wilson pes, Piculus, Celeus, Dryocopus, Camp- 1967, based on a single distal tarsometatarsus, Wa- ephilus, and Chrysocolaptes ; inflated and ex- is from the mid- to late Clarendonian panded to varying degrees in other genera keeney local fauna (late Miocene) from the examined, producing a distinct, midsagittal Ogallala Formation, Kansas. Feduccia and crest in Xiphidiopicus, Campethera, Picus, Wilson (1967) consider Pliopicus to be allied 766 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 46, No. 4

Table 2. Measurements of the crania of species oiColaptes. Data are mean, standard deviation, number measured, the caudal portion of the supraoccipital (Prominentia cerebellaris and observed range. LENGTH, greatest length from ) to the nasofrontal suture, measured on the midsagittal plane (Planum medianum), DEPTH, depth of skull from dorsal groove for the hyoid to the slight, anterioposteriorly oriented groove in the basitemporal, measured on the midsagittal plane; WIDTH, greatest transverse width brain case; W-TEMPORAL, transverse width of brain case, measured in the temporal fossa immediately caudal to the postorbital process; W-POSTORB, transverse width between postorbital processes; lORB-CONST, narrowest interorbital constriction; W-IORBSEPT, transverse width interorbital septum;

L-FMAG, anteroposterior diameter oiforamen magnum , measured from the caudad projection of the occipital condyle to the rostral surface with the caudal border of the foramen; W-FMAG, greatest transverse width offoramen magnum; W-BULLAE, distance between bullae (i.e., between medial surfaces of O. exoccipitale ala tympanica), COND-SR, occipital condyle to sphenoidal rostrum, measured from caudad portion of occipital condyle to the rostralmost extension of the sphenoidal rostrum; EUSTACIAN, distance between openings of the eustacian tubes; W-BASITEMP, greatest transverse width of basitemporal plate; SR-FO, sphenoidal rostrum to ventral border of foramen opticum;

) = damaged. FO-PC, foramen opticum to prominentia cerebellaris. ( specimen

Measurement auratus campestris pitius inelanochloros rupicola fernandinae IMNH 30218

Length 29.33 ± 0.93(28) 31.0 31.7 27.5-3L1 Depth 17.89 ± 0.42(28) 19.2 17.15-19.15 Width 22.39 ± 0.63(28) 22.8 21.3-23.7 W-Temporal 20.75 ± 0.76(20) 20.2 18.9-22.2 w-postorb 21.86 ± 0.79(28) 22.9 20.4-22.95 lORB-CONST 8.71 ± 0.61(30) 7.7 7.25-9.8 W-Iorbsept 1.12 ± 0.13(19) (1.5) 0.95-1.55 L-FMAG 3.94 ± 0.16(28) 4.1 3.6-4.3 W-FMAG 5.76 ± 0.28(29) 5.35-6.3 W-BULLAE 10.77 ± 0.44(29) 12.1 10.2-12.0 COND-SR 11.93 ± 0.66(26) 1.4 10.55-13.3 Eustacian 3.94 ± 0.30(27) 3.25-4.75 W-Basitemp 13.91 ± 0.51 (27) (13.0) 13.2-14.95 SR-FO 3.84 ± 0.27(27) 4.5 3.25-4.55 FO-PC 16.16 ± 0.53(27) 15.3-17.3 October 1986 BECKER: Idaho Fossil Birds 767

Glenns Ferry Formation have produced some Howard, H. 1946. A review of the Pleistocene birds of Fossil Lake, Oregon. Carnegie Instit. Wash., 30 of these species (Feduccia 1975 and refer- Publ. 551:142-195, 2 pis. ences therein, Miller 1944, this study). There Malde, H E , H A Powers, andC H Marshall 1963. are also several unstudied collections of fossil Reconnaissance geologic map of west-central birds from this formation (Becker in prepara- Snake River Plain, Idaho: U. S. Geol. Survey Misc. Inv. Map 1-373. tion). Marsh, O. C. 1870. Notice of some fossil birds, from the The systematics of many of these species Cretaceous and Tertiary formations of the United are still poorly known. New species, often States. Amer. J. Sci. (2nd Series) 49(146): 205-217. only known from fragmentary material, were Miller, L 1944. Some Pliocene birds from Oregon and proposed more on the basis of a presumed Idaho. Condor 46: 25-32. Murr,\y, B 1970. A redescription of two Pliocene cor- difference in geologic time than on quantifi- morants. Condor 72: 293-298. able differences in morphology. Sexual and Shaeffer, W 1972. Ecology and palaeoecology of marine geographic variation in the osteology of living environments. Univ. Chicago Press. 568 pp. species was rarely quantified. Many Blancan Short, L L . Jr 1965. Hybridization in the Flickers (Co-

/apfes ) of North America. Bull. Mus. Nat. species of birds should be critically reexam- Amer. Hist. 129(4): 307-428. ined before being accepted as valid, extinct Smith, G R , K Swirydczuk, P G Kimmel, and B H. taxa. Wilkinson. 1982. Fish biostratigraphy of late Miocene to Pleistocene sediments of the western Snake River Plain, Idaho. Pages 519-541 in B. Acknowledgments Bonnichsen and R. M. Breckenridge, eds., Ceno- zoic geology of Idaho. Idaho Bureau of Mines and For the loan of material or for access to Geol Bull. 26. collections I thank G. Barrowclough and F. Wetmore, a 1933. Pliocene bird remains from Idaho. Vuilleumier, American Museum of Natural Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 87(20): 1-12. Woolfenden, G E 1961. Postcranial osteology of the History; J. A. White, Idaho Museum of Natu- waterfowl. Bull. Florida State Mus., Biol. Sci. 6: ral History; P. Brodkorb, University of Flor- 1-129. ida; and S. L. Olson, National Museum of Natural History. I thank P. Brodkorb, S. L. Appendix Olson, and D. W. Steadman for their com- ments on this manuscript. Skulls of the following recent woodpeckers were examined to develop the generic diagno- Literature Cited sis. Melanerpes lewis (1), M. erythrocephalus (8), M. formicivorus (10), M. cruenateus (2), Anderson, N. R. 1965. Upper Cenozoic stratigraphy of M. pucherani (1), M. chrysogens (2), M. the Oreana 15 minute quadrangle, Idaho. Unpub- (Chryserpes) striatus (1), M. (Centurus) hy- lished dissertation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. popoliiis (1), M. radiolatus (3), M. ruhricapil-

Baumel, J J . A S King, A M Lucas. J E Breazile, and lus (6), M. uropygialis (4), M. aurifrons (12), H E Evans, (eds). 1979. Nomina anatomica M. carolinus (12), M. caymanensis (= super- avium. Academic Press, New York. 637 pp. cilliaris, 3); Sphyrapicus varius (9), S. Brodkorb, P 1958. Fossil birds from Idaho. Wilson Bull. nuchalis S. thyroideus Xiphidiopicus 70; 237-242. (2), (2); percussus Campethera bennettii (1), C. 1970. The paleospecies of woodpeckers. Quart. J. (1); Florida Acad. Sci. 33: 132-136 (published 23 Feb- abingoni (2), C. taeniolaema (1); Dendropicus ruary 1971). fuscescens (3); Picoides arizonae (1), P. minor Conrad, G S 1980. The biostratigraphy and mammalian (1), P. 7najor{l), P. scalaris (4), P. nuttallii{l), paleontology of the Glenns Ferry Formation from P. borealis P. villosus Hammett to Oreana, Idaho. Unpublished disser- P. piibescens (11), (9), tation, Idaho State University, Pocatello. 351 pp. (8), P. trydactylus (1), P. arcticus (2); Venilior- 1981. statistical University Dixon, W J BMDP software. nisfumigatus (2), V. sanguineus (2), V. cassini of California Press, Berkeley. 725 pp. (2); Piculus flavigula (2), P. rubiginosus (2), P. Feduccia, A 1975. Professor Hibbard's fossil birds. auricularis Colaptes auratus (31; auratus Univ. Michigan Mus. Paleont., Pap. Paleont. 12: (1); 67-70. group— 14, chrysocaulosus group—3, cafer Feduccia, A., and R. L. Wilson 1967. Avian fossils from group— 12, chrysoides group— 1; species the lower Pliocene of Kansas. Occ. Pap. Mus. groups after Short, 1965), C. campestris (1), Zool., Univ. Michigan 655: 1-6. C. pitius (1), C. rupicola (2), C melano- Ford, N L , and B G Murray, Jr 1967. Fossil owls from (Chrysop- the Hagerman local fauna (Upper Pliocene) of chloros (1), C. fernandinae (1), C. Idaho. Auk 84: 115-117. tilus) punctigula (1); Celeus undulatus (2), C. Vol. No. 4 GREAT Basin Naturalist 46, 768 P. viridis