Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90Th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90Th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore ••53i Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore STORRS L. OLSON EDITOR SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY SERIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION The emphasis upon publications as a means of diffusing knowledge was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In his formal plan for the Insti­ tution, Joseph Henry articulated a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This keynote of basic research has been adhered to over the years in the issuance of thousands of titles in serial publications under the Smithsonian imprint, com­ mencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Annals of Flight Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes original articles and monographs dealing with the research and collections of its several museums and offices and of professional colleagues at other institutions of learning. These papers report newly acquired facts, synoptic interpretations of data, or original theory in specialized fields. These pub­ lications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, laboratories, and other interested institutions and specialists throughout the world. Individual copies may be obtained from the Smithsonian Institution Press as long as stocks are available. S. DILLON RIPLEY Secretary Smithsonian Institution SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY • NUMBER 27 Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore Storrs L. Olson EDITOR ISSUED MAY 2 i 1976 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS City of Washington 1976 ABSTRACT Olson, Storrs L., editor. Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, number 27, 211 pages, 91 figures, 38 tables, 1976.—Eighteen papers covering diverse aspects of avian paleontology—from the earliest known bird to extinct species found in Indian middens—are collected here to honor the 90th birthday of Alexander Wetmore. These are preceded by an appraisal of the current state of avian paleontology and of Alexander Wetmore's influence on it, including a bibliography of his publications in this field. John H. Ostrom analyzes the hypothetical steps in the origin of flight between Archaeopteryx and modern birds. Philip D. Gingerich confirms that Ichthyornis and Hesperornis did indeed bear teeth, that the palate in Hesperornis is paleognathous, and that these Cretaceous toothed birds appear to occupy a position intermediate between dinosaurs and modern birds. Larry D. Martin and James Tate, Jr. describe the skeleton of the Cretaceous diving bird Baptornis advenus and conclude that the Baptornithidae belong in the Hesperornithiformes, but are less specialized than Hesperornis. Pierce Brodkorb describes the first known Cretaceous land bird as forming a new order possibly ancestral to the Coraciiformes and Piciformes. E. N. Kurochkin summarizes the distribution and paleoecology of the Paleogene birds of Asia, with particular emphasis on the evolution of the gruiform families Eogruidae and Ergilornithidae. Pat Vickers Rich and David J. Bohaska describe the earliest known owl from Paleocene deposits in Colorado. Alan Feduccia transfers the Eocene genus Neanis from the Passeriformes to the Piciformes and he and Larry D. Martin go on to refer this and four other genera to a new family of Piciformes, concluding that these were the dominant perching land birds of the Eocene of North America. Storrs L. Olson describes a new species of Todidae from the Oligocene of Wyoming and refers the genus Protornis from the Oligocene of Switzerland to the Momotidae, concluding that the New World Coraciiformes originated in the Old World. Charles T. Collins describes two new species of the Eo-Oligocene genus Aegialornis and presents evidence that the Aegialornithidae should be referred to the Caprimulgiformes rather than to the Apodiformes, although they might be ancestral to the swifts. In the following paper he shows that the earliest known true swifts (Apodidae) are three nominal forms from the Lower Miocene of France which prove to be but a single species of Cypseloides, a modern genus belonging to a primitive sub­ family now restricted to the New World. Stuart L. Warter describes a new osprey from the Miocene of California to provide the earliest certain occurrence of the family Pandionidae and he treats functional aspects of the evolution of the wing in Pandion. Hildegarde Howard describes a. new species of flightless mancalline auk, also from the Miocene of California, which is temporally and morphologically intermediate between Praemancalla lagunensis and the species of Mancalla. Robert W. Storer analyzes Pleistocene fossils of pied-billed grebes, synonymizing Podilymbus magnus Shufeldt with modern P. podiceps and describing a new species from peninsular Florida. Kenneth E. Campbell, Jr., lists 53 species of birds, including new species of Buteo and Oreopholus, from a Pleistocene deposit in southwestern Ecuador and compares this with a fauna of similar age from northwestern Peru, both of which indicate more humid condi­ tions in the past. Oscar Arredondo summarizes aspects of the morphology, evolution, and ecology of the gigantic owls, eagles, and vultures recently discovered in Pleistocene deposits in Cuba. Joel Cracraft analyzes variation in the moas of New Zealand, reduces the number of species recognized to 13, and suggests that several "species pairs" represent examples of sexual size dimorphism. G. Victor Morejohn reports remains of the extinct flightless duck Chendytes lawi, previously known only from Pleistocene deposits, from Indian middens in northern Cali­ fornia and concludes that the species became extinct through human agency less than 3800 years ago. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SI PRESS NUMBER 6137. SERIES COVER DESIGN: The trilobite Phacops rana Green. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: Collected papers in avian paleontology honoring the 90th birthday of Alexander Wetmore. (Smithsonian contributions to paleobiology ; no. 27) CONTENTS: Ostrom, J. H. Some hypothetical anatomical stages in the evolution of avian flight— Gingerich, P. D. Evolutionary significance of the Mesozoic toothed birds.—Martin, L. D. and Tate, J., Jr. The skeleton of Baptornis advenus (Aves: Hesperornithiformes). [etc.] Supt. of Docs. No.: SI 1.30:27 1. Birds, Fossil—Addresses, essays, lectures. I. Wetmore, Alexander, 1886- II. Olson, Storrs L. III. Series: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian contributions to paleobiology ; no. 27. QE701.S56 no. 27 [QE871] 560'8s [568'.2] 75-619322 Contents Page PREFACE v APPRECIATIONS, by S. Dillon Ripley and Jean Delacour ... .... vii ALEXANDER WETMORE AND THE STUDY OF FOSSIL BIRDS, by Storrs L. Olson xi PUBLICATIONS IN AVIAN PALEONTOLOGY BY ALEXANDER WETMORE xvii INDEX TO FOSSIL AVIAN TAXA DESCRIBED BY ALEXANDER WETMORE .... xxv SOME HYPOTHETICAL ANATOMICAL STAGES IN THE EVOLUTION OF AVIAN FLIGHT, by John H. Ostrom 1 EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MESOZOIC TOOTHED BIRDS, by Philip D. Gingerich 23 THE SKELETON OF Baptornis advenus (AVES: HESPERORNITHIFORMES), by Larry D. Martin and James Tate, Jr. ... 35 DISCOVERY OF A CRETACEOUS BIRD, APPARENTLY ANCESTRAL TO THE ORDERS CORACIIFORMES AND PICIFORMES (AVES: CARINATAE), by Pierce Brodkorb 67 A SURVEY OF THE PALEOGENE BIRDS OF ASIA, by E. N. Kurochkin 75 THE WORLD'S OLDEST OWL: A NEW STRIGIFORM FROM THE PALEOCENE OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO, by Pat Vickers Rich and David J. Bohaska 87 Neanis schucherti RESTUDIED: ANOTHER EOCENE PICIFORM BIRD, by Alan Feduccia 95 THE EOCENE ZYGODACTYL BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (AVES: PICIFORMES), by Alan Feduccia and Larry D. Martin 101 OLIGOCENE FOSSILS BEARING ON THE ORIGINS OF THE TODIDAE AND THE MOMOTIDAE (AVES: CORACIIFORMES), by Storrs L. Olson ... .... Ill Two NEW SPECIES OF Aegialornis FROM FRANCE, WITH COMMENTS ON THE ORDINAL AFFINITIES OF THE AEGIALORNITHIDAE, by Charles T. Collins 121 A REVIEW OF THE LOWER MIOCENE SWIFTS (AVES: APODIDAE), by Charles T. Collins 129 A NEW OSPREY FROM THE MIOCENE OF CALIFORNIA (FALCONIFORMES: PANDIONIDAE), by Stuart L. Warter 133 A NEW SPECIES OF FLIGHTLESS AUK FROM THE MIOCENE OF CALIFORNIA (ALCIDAE: MANCALLINAE), by Hildegarde Howard 141 THE PLEISTOCENE PIED-BILLED GREBES (AVES: PODICIPEDIDAE), by Robert W. Storer 147 THE LATE PLEISTOCENE AVIFAUNA OF LA CAROLINA, SOUTHWESTERN ECUADOR, by Kenneth E. Campbell, Jr. ... 155 THE GREAT PREDATORY BIRDS OF THE PLEISTOCENE OF CUBA, by Oscar Arredondo, translated and amended by Storrs L. Olson 169 THE SPECIES OF MOAS (AVES: DINORNITHIDAE), by Joel Cracraft 189 EVIDENCE OF THE SURVIVAL TO RECENT TIMES OF THE EXTINCT FLIGHTLESS DUCK Chendytes lawi MILLER, by G. Victor Morejohn 207 in Preface Had contributions for this volume been sought from the associates and friends of Alexander Wetmore in all fields of ornithology, their number would
Recommended publications
  • Ancient Mitogenomes Shed Light on the Evolutionary History And
    Ancient Mitogenomes Shed Light on the Evolutionary History and Biogeography of Sloths Frédéric Delsuc, Melanie Kuch, Gillian Gibb, Emil Karpinski, Dirk Hackenberger, Paul Szpak, Jorge Martinez, Jim Mead, H. Gregory Mcdonald, Ross Macphee, et al. To cite this version: Frédéric Delsuc, Melanie Kuch, Gillian Gibb, Emil Karpinski, Dirk Hackenberger, et al.. Ancient Mitogenomes Shed Light on the Evolutionary History and Biogeography of Sloths. Current Biology - CB, Elsevier, 2019. hal-02326384 HAL Id: hal-02326384 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02326384 Submitted on 22 Oct 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 1 Ancient Mitogenomes Shed Light on the Evolutionary 2 History and Biogeography of Sloths 3 Frédéric Delsuc,1,13,*, Melanie Kuch,2 Gillian C. Gibb,1,3, Emil Karpinski,2,4 Dirk 4 Hackenberger,2 Paul Szpak,5 Jorge G. Martínez,6 Jim I. Mead,7,8 H. Gregory 5 McDonald,9 Ross D. E. MacPhee,10 Guillaume Billet,11 Lionel Hautier,1,12 and 6 Hendrik N. Poinar2,* 7 Author list footnotes 8 1Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier
    [Show full text]
  • The Endemic Ducks of Remote Islands DAVID LACK Introduction with the Names and Measurements of the Resident Forms of Anas
    Ducks of remote islands 5 The endemic ducks of remote islands DAVID LACK Introduction with the names and measurements of the resident forms of Anas. On large islands This paper is concerned with all those and on islands near continents many ducks which have formed distinctive sub­ species of ducks coexist. For instance, 13 species restricted to one particular small species, 7 in the genus Anas, breed regu­ and remote island or archipelago. Only larly in Britain (Parslow 1967), 16 species, dabbling ducks in the genus Anas are 6 in the genus Anas, in Iceland (F. involved. Many species in this genus have Gudmundsson pers, com.), 8, 5 in the an extremely wide range, but the average genus Anas, in the Falkland Islands number of subspecies per species is as (Cawkell and Hamilton 1961) and 7, with low as 1.9 for the 38 species recognised 2 more in the nineteenth century, 4 in the by Delacour (1954-64). Hence the fact genus Anas, in New Zealand (Williams that nearly all the ducks on remote small 1964). Some of the Falklands and New islands are separate subspecies means that, Zealand forms are endemic, not so those for ducks, they belong to relatively of British or Iceland. Although the isolated populations. In contrast, on some various species of ducks look superficially of the archipelagos concerned, notably alike, especially when seen together in a the Hawaiian Islands and Galapagos, collection of living waterfowl, they have various of the land birds are distinctive in fact evolved an adaptive radiation species or even genera.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Communications
    SHORT COMMUNICATIONS J. Raptor Res. 53(4):419–430 Ó 2019 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. COMMENTARY:DEFINING RAPTORS AND BIRDS OF PREY 1 CHRISTOPHER J. W. MCCLURE, SARAH E. SCHULWITZ, AND DAVID L. ANDERSON The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709 USA BRYCE W. ROBINSON Ornithologi, PO Box 6423, Boise, ID 83707 USA ELIZABETH K. MOJICA EDM International, Inc. 4001 Automation Way, Fort Collins, CO 80526 USA JEAN-FRANCOIS THERRIEN Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 410 Summer Valley Road, Orwigsburg, PA 17961 USA M. DAVID OLEYAR HawkWatch International, 2240 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84106 USA JEFF JOHNSON University of North Texas, Department of Biological Sciences, 1155 Union Circle #310559, Denton, TX 76203 USA ABSTRACT.—Species considered raptors are subjects of monitoring programs, textbooks, scientific societies, legislation, and multinational agreements. Yet no standard definition for the synonymous terms ‘‘raptor’’ or ‘‘bird of prey’’ exists. Groups, including owls, vultures, corvids, and shrikes are variably considered raptors based on morphological, ecological, and taxonomic criteria, depending on the authors. We review various criteria previously used to define raptors and we present an updated definition that incorporates current understanding of bird phylogeny. For example, hunting live vertebrates has been largely accepted as an ecological trait of raptorial birds, yet not all species considered raptors are raptorial (e.g., Palm-nut Vulture [Gypohierax angolensis]), and not all raptorial birds are considered raptors (e.g., skuas [Stercorariidae]). Acute vision, a hooked bill, and sharp talons are the most commonly used morphological characters for delineating raptors; however, using those characters as criteria may cause confusion because they can be vague and exceptions are sometimes made.
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Puglia & the Gargano Promontory
    © Lonely Planet Publications 84 www.lonelyplanet.com 85 Northern Puglia & the Gargano Promontory Crowning Italy’s boot, the northern province of Foggia (the capitanata) is an attractive NORTHERN PUGLIA & THE NORTHERN PUGLIA & THE land of contrasting geographical bands, from the mountainous rocky spur of the Gargano GARGANO PROMONTORY Promontory to the vast flat tablelands of the Tavoliere and the gentle rolling hills of the Daunia Pre-Apennines. The Tavoliere is the wheatbowl of southern Italy, covering half of the capitanata in a 3000-sq-km geometric chequerboard of golden fields. Tracks across the plains bear witness to the centuries-old transhumance routes, the ancient droving trails or tratturi along which sheep and cattle were moved from Abruzzo to Puglia. The wheatfields surrounding the provincial capital of Foggia gently give way to the wetlands and salt works of Margherita di Savoia on the southeast coast, a region famous for its prolific birdlife. To the west, the Tavoliere merges into the undulating foothills, shallow valleys and wooded slopes of the beautiful Daunia mountains. Here, castles and towers of the medieval hilltop towns watch over Foggia’s Pre-Apennine border. Puglia’s only mountainous zone is the stunning Gargano Promontory, a blunt spur of limestone cliffs and dense forest jutting into the blue Adriatic Sea. Its landscape, flora and fauna are a geographical anomaly in Puglia’s Mediterranean mezzogiorno, more Croatian than southern Italian. Millions of years ago the Gargano was separated from the mainland by a thin strip of ocean. Now its unique beauty and summer seaside resorts are a favourite with Italian and German tourists.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Vol. 11, No. 3
    BULLETIN OF THE FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Volume 11 Number 3 CATALOGUE OF FOSSIL BIRDS: Part 3 (Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes) Pierce Brodkorb M,4 * . /853 0 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Gainesville 1967 Numbers of the BULLETIN OF THE FLORIDA STATE MUSEUM are pub- lished at irregular intervals. Volumes contain about 800 pages and are not nec- essarily completed in any one calendar year. WALTER AuFFENBERC, Managing Editor OLIVER L. AUSTIN, JA, Editor Consultants for this issue. ~ HILDEGARDE HOWARD ALExANDER WErMORE Communications concerning purchase or exchange of the publication and all manuscripts should be addressed to the Managing Editor of the Bulletin, Florida State Museum, Seagle Building, Gainesville, Florida. 82601 Published June 12, 1967 Price for this issue $2.20 CATALOGUE OF FOSSIL BIRDS: Part 3 ( Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes) PIERCE BRODKORBl SYNOPSIS: The third installment of the Catalogue of Fossil Birds treats 84 families comprising the orders Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, and Charadriiformes. The species included in this section number 866, of which 215 are paleospecies and 151 are neospecies. With the addenda of 14 paleospecies, the three parts now published treat 1,236 spDcies, of which 771 are paleospecies and 465 are living or recently extinct. The nominal order- Diatrymiformes is reduced in rank to a suborder of the Ralliformes, and several generally recognized families are reduced to subfamily status. These include Geranoididae and Eogruidae (to Gruidae); Bfontornithidae
    [Show full text]
  • Deinogalerix : a Giant Hedgehog from the Miocene
    Annali dell’Università di Ferrara ISSN 1824-2707 Museologia Scientifica e Naturalistica Volume 6 (2010) Deinogalerix : a giant hedgehog from the Miocene Boris VILLIER* * Dipartimento di scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino [email protected] SUPERVISORS: Marco Pavia e Marta Arzarello __________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract During the Miocene the Abruzzo/Apulia region (Italy), isolated from the continent, was the theatre of the evolution of a vertebrate ecosystem in insular context. At the late Miocene the protagonists of this ecosystem called “ Mikrotia fauna ” show a high endemic speciation level with spectacular giant and dwarf species of mammals and birds. Most of the remains of this peculiar fauna are found exclusively in the “Terre rosse” of Gargano, except for the oldest genus: Deinogalerix and Hoplitomeryx , also found at Scontrone. Deinogalerix is one of the most uncommon forms of the “ Mikrotia fauna ”. It’s the largest Erinaceidea ever lived. Deinogalerix was described for the first by Freudenthal (1972) then by Butler (1980). Today the five species yet described are under discussion cause of the high intraspecific variations in an insular evolution context. In this study we valuated the information that could bring the new discoveries of Deinogalerix remains. The work was divided into three main parts: the preparation of the material, the drawing reconstructions and the anatomical description. The most important specimen was the second sub-complet skeleton ever found. We gave the most objective anatomical description for futures comparison with the first skeleton from a different specie. We put the finger on new juvenile features and on the relation between the growth of Deinogalerix and his feeding behaviours.
    [Show full text]
  • 71St Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Paris Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA November 2 – 5, 2011 SESSION CONCURRENT SESSION CONCURRENT
    ISSN 1937-2809 online Journal of Supplement to the November 2011 Vertebrate Paleontology Vertebrate Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Vertebrate 71st Annual Meeting Paleontology Society of Vertebrate Las Vegas Paris Nevada, USA Las Vegas, November 2 – 5, 2011 Program and Abstracts Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 71st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM POSTER SESSION/ CONCURRENT CONCURRENT SESSION EXHIBITS SESSION COMMITTEE MEETING ROOMS AUCTION EVENT REGISTRATION, CONCURRENT MERCHANDISE SESSION LOUNGE, EDUCATION & OUTREACH SPEAKER READY COMMITTEE MEETING POSTER SESSION ROOM ROOM SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING PARIS LAS VEGAS HOTEL LAS VEGAS, NV, USA NOVEMBER 2–5, 2011 HOST COMMITTEE Stephen Rowland, Co-Chair; Aubrey Bonde, Co-Chair; Joshua Bonde; David Elliott; Lee Hall; Jerry Harris; Andrew Milner; Eric Roberts EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Philip Currie, President; Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Past President; Catherine Forster, Vice President; Christopher Bell, Secretary; Ted Vlamis, Treasurer; Julia Clarke, Member at Large; Kristina Curry Rogers, Member at Large; Lars Werdelin, Member at Large SYMPOSIUM CONVENORS Roger B.J. Benson, Richard J. Butler, Nadia B. Fröbisch, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mark A. Loewen, Philip D. Mannion, Jim I. Mead, Eric M. Roberts, Scott D. Sampson, Eric D. Scott, Kathleen Springer PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jonathan Bloch, Co-Chair; Anjali Goswami, Co-Chair; Jason Anderson; Paul Barrett; Brian Beatty; Kerin Claeson; Kristina Curry Rogers; Ted Daeschler; David Evans; David Fox; Nadia B. Fröbisch; Christian Kammerer; Johannes Müller; Emily Rayfield; William Sanders; Bruce Shockey; Mary Silcox; Michelle Stocker; Rebecca Terry November 2011—PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS 1 Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Host Committee cordially welcomes you to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Las Vegas.
    [Show full text]
  • Onetouch 4.0 Scanned Documents
    / Chapter 2 THE FOSSIL RECORD OF BIRDS Storrs L. Olson Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC. I. Introduction 80 II. Archaeopteryx 85 III. Early Cretaceous Birds 87 IV. Hesperornithiformes 89 V. Ichthyornithiformes 91 VI. Other Mesozojc Birds 92 VII. Paleognathous Birds 96 A. The Problem of the Origins of Paleognathous Birds 96 B. The Fossil Record of Paleognathous Birds 104 VIII. The "Basal" Land Bird Assemblage 107 A. Opisthocomidae 109 B. Musophagidae 109 C. Cuculidae HO D. Falconidae HI E. Sagittariidae 112 F. Accipitridae 112 G. Pandionidae 114 H. Galliformes 114 1. Family Incertae Sedis Turnicidae 119 J. Columbiformes 119 K. Psittaciforines 120 L. Family Incertae Sedis Zygodactylidae 121 IX. The "Higher" Land Bird Assemblage 122 A. Coliiformes 124 B. Coraciiformes (Including Trogonidae and Galbulae) 124 C. Strigiformes 129 D. Caprimulgiformes 132 E. Apodiformes 134 F. Family Incertae Sedis Trochilidae 135 G. Order Incertae Sedis Bucerotiformes (Including Upupae) 136 H. Piciformes 138 I. Passeriformes 139 X. The Water Bird Assemblage 141 A. Gruiformes 142 B. Family Incertae Sedis Ardeidae 165 79 Avian Biology, Vol. Vlll ISBN 0-12-249408-3 80 STORES L. OLSON C. Family Incertae Sedis Podicipedidae 168 D. Charadriiformes 169 E. Anseriformes 186 F. Ciconiiformes 188 G. Pelecaniformes 192 H. Procellariiformes 208 I. Gaviiformes 212 J. Sphenisciformes 217 XI. Conclusion 217 References 218 I. Introduction Avian paleontology has long been a poor stepsister to its mammalian counterpart, a fact that may be attributed in some measure to an insufRcien- cy of qualified workers and to the absence in birds of heterodont teeth, on which the greater proportion of the fossil record of mammals is founded.
    [Show full text]
  • Contents Contents
    Traveler’s Guide WILDLIFE WATCHINGTraveler’s IN PERU Guide WILDLIFE WATCHING IN PERU CONTENTS CONTENTS PERU, THE NATURAL DESTINATION BIRDS Northern Region Lambayeque, Piura and Tumbes Amazonas and Cajamarca Cordillera Blanca Mountain Range Central Region Lima and surrounding areas Paracas Huánuco and Junín Southern Region Nazca and Abancay Cusco and Machu Picchu Puerto Maldonado and Madre de Dios Arequipa and the Colca Valley Puno and Lake Titicaca PRIMATES Small primates Tamarin Marmosets Night monkeys Dusky titi monkeys Common squirrel monkeys Medium-sized primates Capuchin monkeys Saki monkeys Large primates Howler monkeys Woolly monkeys Spider monkeys MARINE MAMMALS Main species BUTTERFLIES Areas of interest WILD FLOWERS The forests of Tumbes The dry forest The Andes The Hills The cloud forests The tropical jungle www.peru.org.pe [email protected] 1 Traveler’s Guide WILDLIFE WATCHINGTraveler’s IN PERU Guide WILDLIFE WATCHING IN PERU ORCHIDS Tumbes and Piura Amazonas and San Martín Huánuco and Tingo María Cordillera Blanca Chanchamayo Valley Machu Picchu Manu and Tambopata RECOMMENDATIONS LOCATION AND CLIMATE www.peru.org.pe [email protected] 2 Traveler’s Guide WILDLIFE WATCHINGTraveler’s IN PERU Guide WILDLIFE WATCHING IN PERU Peru, The Natural Destination Peru is, undoubtedly, one of the world’s top desti- For Peru, nature-tourism and eco-tourism repre- nations for nature-lovers. Blessed with the richest sent an opportunity to share its many surprises ocean in the world, largely unexplored Amazon for- and charm with the rest of the world. This guide ests and the highest tropical mountain range on provides descriptions of the main groups of species Pthe planet, the possibilities for the development of the country offers nature-lovers; trip recommen- bio-diversity in its territory are virtually unlim- dations; information on destinations; services and ited.
    [Show full text]
  • Sistemática Y Filogenia De Las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae)
    SISTEMÁTICA Y FILOGENIA DE LAS AVES FORORRACOIDEAS (GRUIFORMES, CARIAMAE) Federico Agnolín1, 2 1Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”. Av. Ángel Gallardo, 470 (1405), Buenos Aires, República Argentina. fedeagnolí[email protected] 2Área Paleontología. Fundación de Historia Natural “Félix de Azara”. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropolo- gía. CEBBAD - Universidad Maimónides. Valentín Virasoro 732 (C1405BDB), Buenos Aires, República Argentina. Sistemática y Filogenia de las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae). Federico Agnolín. Primera edición: septiembre de 2009. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología CEBBAD - Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Universidad Maimónides Valentín Virasoro 732 (C1405BDB) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, República Argentina. Teléfono: 011-4905-1100 (int. 1228). E-mail: [email protected] Página web: www.fundacionazara.org.ar Diseño: Claudia Di Leva. Agnolín, Federico Sistemática y filogenia de las aves fororracoideas : gruiformes, cariamae / Federico Agnolín ; dirigido por Adrián Giacchino. - 1a ed. - Buenos Aires : Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, 2009. 79 p. : il. ; 30x21 cm. - (Monografías Fundación Azara / Adrián Giacchino) ISBN 978-987-25346-1-5 © Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara Queda hecho el depósito que marca la ley 11.723 Sistemática y Filogenia de las aves fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae) Resumen. En el presente trabajo se efectúa una revisión sistemática de las aves fororracoideas y se propone por primera vez una filogenia cladística para los Phororhacoidea y grupos relacionados. Se acuña el nuevo nombre Notogrues para el clado que incluye entre otros taxones a Psophia, Cariamidae y Phororhacoidea. Dentro de los Notogrues se observa una paulatina tendencia hacia la pérdida del vuelo y la carnivoría.
    [Show full text]
  • La Brea and Beyond: the Paleontology of Asphalt-Preserved Biotas
    La Brea and Beyond: The Paleontology of Asphalt-Preserved Biotas Edited by John M. Harris Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series 42 September 15, 2015 Cover Illustration: Pit 91 in 1915 An asphaltic bone mass in Pit 91 was discovered and exposed by the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art in the summer of 1915. The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History resumed excavation at this site in 1969. Retrieval of the “microfossils” from the asphaltic matrix has yielded a wealth of insect, mollusk, and plant remains, more than doubling the number of species recovered by earlier excavations. Today, the current excavation site is 900 square feet in extent, yielding fossils that range in age from about 15,000 to about 42,000 radiocarbon years. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Archives, RLB 347. LA BREA AND BEYOND: THE PALEONTOLOGY OF ASPHALT-PRESERVED BIOTAS Edited By John M. Harris NO. 42 SCIENCE SERIES NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Luis M. Chiappe, Vice President for Research and Collections John M. Harris, Committee Chairman Joel W. Martin Gregory Pauly Christine Thacker Xiaoming Wang K. Victoria Brown, Managing Editor Go Online to www.nhm.org/scholarlypublications for open access to volumes of Science Series and Contributions in Science. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles, California 90007 ISSN 1-891276-27-1 Published on September 15, 2015 Printed at Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas PREFACE Rancho La Brea was a Mexican land grant Basin during the Late Pleistocene—sagebrush located to the west of El Pueblo de Nuestra scrub dotted with groves of oak and juniper with Sen˜ora la Reina de los A´ ngeles del Rı´ode riparian woodland along the major stream courses Porciu´ncula, now better known as downtown and with chaparral vegetation on the surrounding Los Angeles.
    [Show full text]
  • Robert Ridgway 1850-1929
    NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS VOLUME XV SECOND MEMOIR BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF ROBERT RIDGWAY 1850-1929 BY ALEXANDER WETMORE PRESENTED TO THE ACADEMY AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, 1931 ROBERT RIDGWAY 1850-1929 BY ALEXANDER WETMORE Robert Ridgway, member of the National Academy of Science, for many years Curator of Birds in the United States National Museum, was born at Mount Carmel, Illinois, on July 2, 1850. His death came on March 25, 1929, at his home in Olney, Illinois.1 The ancestry of Robert Ridgway traces back to Richard Ridg- way of Wallingford, Berkshire, England, who with his family came to America in January, 1679, as a member of William Penn's Colony, to locate at Burlington, New Jersey. In a short time he removed to Crewcorne, Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farming and cattle raising. David Ridgway, father of Robert, was born March 11, 1819, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. During his infancy his family re- moved for a time to Mansfield, Ohio, later, about 1840, settling near Mount Carmel, Illinois, then considered the rising city of the west through its prominence as a shipping center on the Wabash River. Little is known of the maternal ancestry of Robert Ridgway except that his mother's family emigrated from New Jersey to Mansfield, Ohio, where Robert's mother, Henrietta James Reed, was born in 1833, and then removed in 1838 to Calhoun Praifle, Wabash County, Illinois. Here David Ridgway was married on August 30, 1849. Robert Ridgway was the eldest of ten children.
    [Show full text]