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(Aves: Coraciiformes Ss: Coraciidae) from the Early Miocene of the Saint

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(Aves: Coraciiformes Ss: Coraciidae) from the Early Miocene of the Saint – 81 – Paleornithological Research 2013 Proceed. 8th Inter nat. Meeting Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution Ursula B. Göhlich & Andreas Kroh (Eds) ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FD580E82-70FA-40F8-A733-EBB22C53E8A2 A new roller (Aves: Coraciiformes s. s.: Coraciidae) from the Early Miocene of the Saint-Gérand-le-Puy area, Allier, France CÉCILE MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ1, JEAN-BAPTISTE PEYROUSE2 & MARGUERITE HUGUENEY1 1 Université Claude Bernard-Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5276, Villeurbanne Cedex, France; E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 2 7, rue de la Grange Vertu, 71400 Autun, France; E-mail: [email protected] Abstract — Miocoracias chenevali, nov. gen., nov. spec., a new genus and species of roller (Aves: Coraciiformes s. s.: Coraciidae) is described from the Early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy. This family had not yet been reported from the rich fossil avifauna of this area. Although the material is fragmentary it shows morphologi- cal characteristics different from those of the extinct family Geranopteridae, and can be attributed to the Recent family Coraciidae. The rodents found in the same locality make it possible to attribute it to the MN2a zone. An appendix gives an updated list of the fossil birds identified in the Saint-Gérand-le-Puy area. Key words: Fossil birds, Early Miocene, Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, Mont Merle, Coraciidae, rollers Introduction content of the Coraciiformes sensu stricto of MAYR (1998). The Coraciiformes sensu stricto include three The Geranopteridae have been described extinct families, the Primobucconidae, the Eoc- in the Late Eocene or Oligocene of the Phos- oraciidae, the Geranopteridae, and two Recent phorites du Quercy, in France, but in the new families, the Coraciidae and the Brachypteracii- excavations they have been found only in Upper dae (MAYR 2009). The Primobucconidae are Eocene layers (MAYR & MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ 2000; known from the Early Eocene of Europe and MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ & SIGÉ 2006). They include North America and the Eocoraciidae are known the species Geranopterus alatus MILNE-EDWARDS, from the Middle Eocene of Messel, Germany. 1892, Geranopterus milneedwardsi MAYR & In addition a nearly complete skeleton of a new MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ, 2000, and some indetermi- genus and species has been described from the nate Geranopteridae from the locality of Perrière Lower Eocene of the Green River Fm., Wyo- (MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ & SIGÉ 2006). In the old col- ming, United States (CLARKE et al. 2009). This lections from Quercy, the age of which is not new form, Paracoracias occidentalis, is placed accurately known, there is also a Coraciiforme in the suborder Coracii. Incidentally, the name s. s. incertae sedis species A, represented by Coracii has been applied to a clade that has been an almost complete tarsometatarsus (PQ 1216) defined as follows: “the stem clade including all (MAYR & MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ 2000). taxa more closely related to Coracioidea than The species Nupharanassa bohemica MLIKO- to its nearest outgroup” (CLARKE et al. 2009: p. VSKÝ, 1999, described from the Lower Miocene 587). This clade definition is equivalent to the locality of Dolnice, Czechia, (MN 4b), initially © Verlag Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, 2013 published 10 Dec. 2013 – 82 – FIGURE 1. Location map of the Mont Merle locality, between the classical localities of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy and Montaigu-le-Blin. The contour lines indicate the height above sea level. placed in the family Jacanidae, has been trans- fossil remains from fishes (mainly Cyprinidae), ferred to the genus Geranopterus and has become amphibians (Salamandridae), lizards (Lac- Geranopterus bohemicus (MLIKOVSKÝ, 1999) ertidae, Anguidae), amphisbaenians, snakes (MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ 1999). (Scolecophidians, Natricinae, Viperidae), mar- In Africa Coraciiformes of indeterminate fam- supials (Didelphidae), insectivores (Soricidae, ily had been reported from the Early Pliocene of Talpidae), small carnivores, ungulates (Cain- Langebaanweg, South Africa (RICH 1980). These otheriidae, “Moschidae”), rodents (Sciuridae, Coraciiformes belong to the family Alcedini- Cricetidae, Eomyidae, Gliridae) and a lagomorph. dae (OLSON 1994) and thus Coraciidae are still Bird remains are not numerous and include only unknown at the present time in this avifauna. In some crushed fossil bones of Palaelodidae, Lari- Europe, the genus Eurystomus is known by an colidae and a new Coraciidae. extinct species, Eurystomus beremendensis KES- Mont Merle is an unpublished new locality SLER, 2010, from the Late Pliocene of Beremend that has not been studied before. Some rodents 26, Hungary (MN 16) and by Eurystomus sp., make it possible to give it a dating. The Eomyid from the Early Pleistocene of Betfia 2 and Bet- Rhodanomys schlosseri DEPÉRET & DOUXAMI, fia 9, Romania (KESSLER 2010). In more recent 1902, is represented by upper molars character- localities the Coraciidae are represented by the ized by a continuous longitudinal ridge, and by Recent species, Coracias garrulus LINNAEUS, their size which is included in the variation range 1758 (TYRBERG 1998). observed at Fornant 11 (ENGESSER 1990) and The Mont Merle locality (Fig. 1) is situated at Chavroches (HUGUENEY et al. 2006). As the near the town of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (Allier, distribution of R. schlosseri covers only a short France), an area known for its rich Agenian period, these teeth place the Mont Merle local- vertebrate fauna (VIRET 1929; CHENEVAL 1983a; ity between the Paulhiac level (MN1) where R. HUGUENEY 1997). It is a limestone hill consti- transiens, predecessor of R. schlosseri, is pre- tuted by stromatolitic bioconstructions and marly sent, and the upper part of the MN 2a level (top sediments deposited in a lacustrine environment of the quarry of Montaigu-le-Blin and locality of (WATTINNE et al. 2003). A quarry was opened La Chaux in Switzerland) where the species is here, but it is now filled in. Washing and siev- not reported but is replaced by the Eomyid genus ing of marl on the top of this hill yielded various Ritteneria. SAPE Proceedings 2013 – 83 – Material and methods Miocoracias chenevali nov. sp. (Fig. 2.1–2.7) The anatomical terminology follows BAUMEL & WITMER 1993, and when necessary HOWARD Holotype: FSL 444 229 right tarsometatarsus, 1929, and BALLMANN 1969a. The fossil specimens distal part. are deposited in the collection of the Université Paratype: FSL 444 320 right tibiotarsus, dis- Claude Bernard-Lyon1 (acronym FSL for Faculté tal part, incompletely preserved. des Sciences de Lyon) and in the collection of Diagnosis: As for the genus. the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Lyon (acro- Horizon and locality: Locality of Mont nym ML). Other acronyms are: EC (locality of Merle, district of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, Allier, Escamps); EC3 (locality of Escamps 3), EC4 France. Early Miocene, Agenian, Mammal Neo- (locality of Escamps 4), MN (Mammal Neogene), gene Zone MN 2a. PQ (Phosphorites du Quercy), PRR (locality of Referred material: ML STG 4048 right ulna. Perrière), and STG (Saint-Gérand-le-Puy). This ulna comes from the old collections and it is not possible to know from which locality it has been gathered. Systematic Palaeontology Dimensions (in mm): Right tarsometatarsus, holotype: Length as preserved, 9.0; Distal width, Order Coraciiformes sensu stricto (see MAYR 5.8; Distal depth, 3.1; Width of trochlea metatarsi 1998) III, 2.1; Depth of trochlea metatarsi III, 2.4. Right Family Coraciidae BATSCH, 1788 (see DUBOIS tibiotarsus: Length as preserved, 11.4; Width of & BOUR 2010) shaft at the level of apophysis interna ligamenti obliqui, 2.6; Depth of shaft at the same level, Miocoracias nov. gen. 2.9; Depth of lateral condyle, 4.5. Right ulna: Total length, 53.7; Proximal width, 5.5; Proxi- Type species: Miocoracias chenevali nov. spec. mal depth, 3.7; Width of shaft in the middle, 2.3; Diagnosis: Distal part of tarsometatarsus Depth of shaft in the middle, 2.5; Distal width showing a foramen vasculare distale situated from the cranial border of condylus dorsalis to relatively proximally, proximodistally elongate, top of tuberculum carpale, 5.5; Depth of condy- and obliquely oriented. Trochlea metatarsi IV lus dorsalis, 4.8. slightly shorter than trochlea metatarsi III, and Etymology: This species is named after trochlea metatarsi II slightly shorter than trochlea Jacques CHENEVAL in recognition of his numerous metatarsi IV. On the dorsal face trochlea meta- and valuable studies on the avifauna of the Saint- tarsi III raised and extended by a longitudinal Gérand-le-Puy area. ridge. Trochlea metatarsi III distally splayed. On the plantar face, opening of foramen vasculare distale elongate and narrow. Canalis interosseus Description and comparisons with the two distalis open on the plantar side and forming an Recent genera Coracias and Eurystomus elongate and narrow sulcus. Trochlea metatarsi II showing a narrow and projecting wing. Proximal Tarsometatarsus (Fig. 2.1–2.3): On the dorsal rim of trochlea metatarsi III raised compared to face, the foramen vasculare distale is situated the surface of the fossa supratrochlearis plantaris. more proximally in Miocoracias and it is more In distal view trochleae arranged along a weakly proximodistally elongated than in the Recent arched line. genera. In Coracias and Eurystomus, the opening Included species: Type species only. is dorsoplantarly orientated, while in Miocora- Distribution: Early Miocene, Agenian, MN cias the opening is slit-shaped, obliquely heading 2a, Saint-Gérand-le-Puy area, Allier, France. from the dorsolateral side to the
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