Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-31T05:39:47.409Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diversity of pseudo-toothed birds (Pelagornithidae) from the Eocene of Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Marcos Cenizo ,
Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche  and
Marcelo Reguero
Marcos Cenizo
Affiliation:
División Paleontología, Museo de Historia Natural de la Provincia de La Pampa, Pellegrini 180, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina 〈[email protected]〉 Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología, CEBBAD – Universidad Maimónides, Hidalgo 775, C1405BDB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche
Affiliation:
División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/nº, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina, CONICET 〈[email protected]〉
Marcelo Reguero
Affiliation:
División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/nº, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina, CONICET 〈[email protected]〉 Instituto Antártico Argentino, Balcarce 290, C1064AAF, Buenos Aires, Argentina 〈[email protected]〉
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Antarctic pelagornithid record is restricted to few isolated remains from the Eocene of Seymour Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we report the oldest Antarctic pseudo-toothed bird. It is represented by an incomplete humerus lacking its proximal end, which comes from the lower Eocene levels of the La Meseta Formation (Seymour Island). This new specimen facilitates a review of all known pelagornithids from this continent. Antarctic pelagornithids were classified into two morphotypes that exhibit a mix of putative plesiomorphic and derived characters. Considering the worldwide pelagornithid record and according to estimated wingspans, four approximate size-types were identified. The oldest Antarctic specimens (two fragmentary humeri, middle Ypresian) were assigned to morphotype 1 and correspond to the large size-type. The younger materials (Bartonian/?Priabonian) here assigned to morphotype 2 (some cranial remains, fragmentary tarsometatarsus and humerus) correspond to the giant size-type and represent one of the largest known pseudo-toothed birds. Even though species level phylogenetic affinities of Pelagornithidae remain poorly resolved, three key evolutionary events can be recognized: (1) the disappearance of Dasornis in the Early Eocene and the appearance of more advanced forms with a trend to the specialization of large soaring capacity, (2) the origin of Pelagornis sensu lato species in the early Oligocene, and (3) the appearance and dominance of a highly specialized terminal group at Mio/Pliocene time span.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 89 , Issue 5 , September 2015 , pp. 870 - 881
Copyright
Copyright © 2016, The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acosta Hospitaleche, C, 2015, New penguin giant bones from Antarctica: systematic and paleobiological significance: Comptes Rendus Palevol, v. 13, p. 555–560.Google Scholar
Acosta Hospitaleche, C., and Haidr, N., 2011, Penguin (Aves, Sphenisciformes) cranial remains from the La Meseta Formation (Eocene) of Antarctic Peninsula (Antarctica): Antarctic Sciences, v. 23, p. 369–378.Google Scholar
Acosta Hospitaleche, C., and Reguero, M., 2010, Taxonomic notes about Ichtyopteryx gracilis Wiman, 1905 and Orthopteryx gigas Wiman, 1905 (Aves, Spheniscidae): Alcheringa, v. 35, p. 463–466.Google Scholar
Acosta Hospitaleche, C., and Reguero, M., 2015, Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, the most complete penguin skeleton found in the Eocene of Antarctica: taxonomic remarks: Geobios, v. 671, p. 1–9.Google Scholar
Andrews, C.W., 1916, Note on the sternum of a large carinate bird from the (?) Eocene of Southern Nigeria: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, v. 1916, p. 519–524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumel, J., and Witmer, L., 1993, Osteologia, in Baumel, J., King, A., Breazile, J., Evans, H., and Vanden Berge, J., eds., Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina Anatomica Avium, Boston, Massachusetts, Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, p. 45–132.Google Scholar
Bieñkowska-Wasiluk, M., Bonde, N., Moller, P., and Gazdzicki, A., 2013, Eocene relatives of cod icefishes (Perciformes: Notothenioidei) from Seymour Island: Antarctica, Geological Quarterly, v. 57, p. 567–582.Google Scholar
Bourdon, E., 2005, Osteological evidence for sister group relationship between pseudo-toothed birds (Aves: Odontopterygiformes) and waterfowls (Anseriformes): Naturwissenschaften, v. 92, p. 586–591.Google Scholar
Bourdon, E., 2011, The pseudo-toothed birds (Aves, Odontopterygiformes) and their bearing on the early evolution of modern birds, in Dyke, G., and Kaiser, G., eds., Living Dinosaurs, The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds, London, John Wiley and Sons Ltd, p. 209–234.Google Scholar
Bourdon, E., and Cappetta, H., 2012, Pseudo-toothed birds (Aves, Odontopterygiformes) from the eocene phosphate deposits of Togo, Africa: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 32, p. 965–970.Google Scholar
Bourdon, E., Amaghzaz, M., and Bouya, B., 2010, Pseudotoothed birds (Aves, Odontopterygiformes) from the early Tertiary of Morocco: American Museum Novitates, v. 3704, p. 1–71.Google Scholar
Boessenecker, R.W., and Smith, N.A., 2011, Latest Pacific Basin record of a bony-toothed bird (Aves, Pelagornithidae) from the Pliocene Purisima Formation of California, U.S.A.: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 31, p. 652–657.Google Scholar
Bowerbank, J.S., 1854, On the remains of a gigantic bird (Lithornis emuinus) from the London Clay of Sheppey: Annals and Magazine of Natural History, v. 14, p. 263–264.Google Scholar
Brodkorb, P., 1963, Catalogue of fossil birds, part 1: Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes: Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences, v. 7, p. 179–293.Google Scholar
Case, J., Reguero, M., Martin, J., and Cordes-Person, A., 2006, A cursorial bird from the Maastrichtian of Antarctica: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 26 (3, supplement), p. 48A.Google Scholar
Cenizo, M.M., 2012, Review of the putative Phorusrhacidae from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of Antarctica: new records of ratites and pelagornithid birds: Polish Polar Research, v. 33, p. 239–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chavez, M., Stucchi, M., and Urbina, M., 2007, El registro de Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) y la avifauna neógena del Pacífico sudeste: Bulletin del ’Institut Français d’Études Andines, v. 36, p. 175–197.Google Scholar
Clarke, J.A., Ksepka, D., Stucchi, M., Urbina, M., Giannini, N., Bertelli, S., Narváez, Y., and Boyd, C.A., 2007, Paleogene equatorial penguins challenge the proposed relationship between biogeography, diversity and Cenozoic climate change: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, v. 104, p. 11545–11550.Google Scholar
Del Valle, R.A., Elliot, D., and MacDonald, D.I., 1992, Sedimentary basins on the east flank of the Antarctic Peninsula: proposed nomenclature: Antarctic Science, v. 4, p. 477–478.Google Scholar
Elliot, D.H., and Trautman, T.A., 1982, Lower Tertiary strata on Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, in Craddock, C., ed., Antarctic Geoscience: Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, p. 287–297.Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, E.M.G., Park, T., and Worthy, T.H., 2012, First giant bony-toothed bird (Pelagornithidae) from Australia: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 32, p. 971–974.Google Scholar
Fürbringer, M., 1888, Untersuchungen zur Morphologie und Systematik der Vögel, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Anatomie der Stützund Bewegungsorgane, Amsterdam, van Holkema, 1751 p.Google Scholar
Goedert, J.L., 1989, Giant Late Eocene marine birds (Pelecaniformes, p. Pelagornithidae) from north-western Oregon: Journal of Paleontology, v. 63, p. 939–944.Google Scholar
González-Barba, G., Scwennicke, T., Goedert, J.L., and Barnes, L.G., 2002, Earliest Pacific Basin record of the Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes): Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 22, p. 722–725.Google Scholar
Harrison, C.J.O., and Walker, C.A., 1976, A review of the bony-toothed birds (Odontopterygiformes): with description of some new species: Tertiary Research Special Paper, v. 2, p. 1–62.Google Scholar
Hopson, J.A., 1964, Pseudodontornis and other large marine birds from the Miocene of South Carolina: Postilla, v. 83, p. 1–19.Google Scholar
Howard, H., 1957, A gigantic “toothed” marine bird from the Miocene of California: Bulletin of the Department of Geology of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, v. 1, p. 1–23.Google Scholar
Howard, H., 1978, Late Miocene marine birds from Orange County, California: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science, v. 290, p. 1–25.Google Scholar
Howard, H., and Warter, S.L., 1969, A new species of bony-toothed bird (Family Pseudodontornithidae) from the Tertiary of New Zealand: Records of the Canterbury Museum, v. 8, p. 345–357.Google Scholar
Ivany, L.C., Lohmann, K.C., Hasiuk, F., Blake, D.B., Glass, A., Aronson, R.B., and Moody, R.M., 2008, Eocene climate record of a high southern latitude continental shelf: Seymour Island, Antarctica: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 120, p. 659–678.Google Scholar
Jadwiszczak, P., and Acosta Hospitaleche, C., 2013, Distinguishing between two Antarctic species of Eocene Palaeeudyptes penguins: a statistical approach using tarsometatarsi: Polish Polar Research, v. 34, p. 237–252.Google Scholar
Jones, C.M., 2000, The first record of a fossil bird from East Antarctica, in Stilwell, J.D., and Feldmann, R.M., eds., Paleobiology and paleoenvironments of Eocene rocks, McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, Antarctic Research Series, v. 76, p. 359–364.Google Scholar
Ksepka, D.T., 2014, Flight performance of the largest volant bird: PNAS doi/10.1073/pnas.1320297111.Google Scholar
Ksepka, D.T., and Bertelli, S., 2006, Fossil penguin (Aves: Sphenisciformes) cranial material from the Eocene of Seymour Island (Antarctica): Historical Biology, v. 18, p. 389–395.Google Scholar
Ksepka, D.T., and Clarke, J.A., 2010, The basal penguin (Aves: Sphenisciformes) Perudyptes devriesi and a phylogenetic evaluation of the penguin fossil record: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 337, p. 1–77.Google Scholar
Ksepka, D.T., and Ando, T., 2011, Penguins past, present, and future: trends in the evolution of the Sphenisciformes, in Dyke, G., and Kaiser, G., eds., Living Dinosaurs, The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds, West Sussex, UK, Wiley-Blackwell, p. 155–186.Google Scholar
Lambrecht, K., 1930, Studien über fossile Riesenvögel: Geologica Hungarica, Series Palaeontologica, v. 7, p. 1–37.Google Scholar
Lartet, E., 1857, Note sur un humérus fossile d’oiseau, attribué à un très grand palmipède de la section des Longipennes: Compte Rendu Hebdomadaire des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, v. 44, p. 736–741.Google Scholar
Louchart, A., Sire, J.Y., Mourer-Chauviré, C., Geraads, D., Viriot, L., and de Buffrénil, V., 2013, Structure and growth pattern of pseudoteeth in Pelagornis mauretanicus (Aves, Odontopterygiformes, Pelagornithidae): PLoSOne, p. e80372.Google Scholar
Marenssi, S.A., 2006, Eustatically controlled sedimentation recorded by Eocene strata of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica, in Francis, J., and Crame, J.A., eds., Cretaceous-Tertiary High-Latitude Palaeoenvironments, James Ross Basin, Antarctica, London, Geological Society of London, Special Publications, v. 258, p. 125–133.Google Scholar
Marenssi, S.A., Santillana, S.N., and Rinaldi, C.A., 1998aStratigraphy of La Meseta Formation (Eocene), Marambio Island, Antarctica, in Casadío, S., ed., Paleógeno de América del Sur y de la Península Antártica: Buenos Aires, Revista de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina, Publicación Especial, v. 5, p. 137–146.Google Scholar
Marenssi, S.A., Santillana, S.N., and Rinaldi, C.A., 1998bPaleoambientes sedimentarios de la Aloformación La Meseta (Eoceno), Isla Marambio (Seymour), Antártida: Instituto Antártico Argentino, Contribución, v. 464, p. 1–51.Google Scholar
Marenssi, S.A., Net, L.I., and Santillana, S., 2002, Provenance, environmental and paleogegraphic ontrols on sandstone composition in an incised-valley system: the Eocene La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antartica: Sedimentary Geology, v. 150, p. 301–321.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., 2008, A skull of the giant bony-toothed bird Dasornis (Aves: Pelagornithidae) from the lower Eocene of the Isle of Sheppey: Palaeontology, v. 51, p. 1107–1116.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., 2009, Paleogene Fossil Birds, Heidelberg, Springer, 262 p.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., 2011, Cenozoic mystery birds, on the phylogenetic affinities of bony-toothed birds (Pelagornithidae): Zoologica Scripta, v. 40, p. 448–467.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., and Rubilar-Rogers, D., 2010, Osteology of a new giant bony-toothed bird from the Miocene of Chile, with a revision of the taxonomy of Neogene Pelagornithidae: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 30, p. 1313–1330.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., and Smith, T., 2010, Bony-toothed birds (Aves: Pelagornithidae) from the Middle Eocene of Belgium: Palaeontology, v. 53, p. 365–376.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., and Zvonok, E., 2011, Middle Eocene Pelagornithidae and Gaviiformes (Aves) from the Ukrainian Paratethys: Palaeontology, v. 54, p. 1347–1359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayr, G., and Zvonok, E., 2012, A new genus and species of Pelagornithidae with well-preserved pseudodentition and further avian remains from the middle Eocene of the Ukraine: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 32, p. 914–925.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., Hazevoet, C.J., Dantas, P., and Cachao, M., 2008, A sternum of a very large bony-toothed bird (Pelagornithidae) from the Miocene of Portugal: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 28, p. 762–769.Google Scholar
Mayr, G., Goedert, J.L., and McLeod, S.A., 2013, Partial skeleton of a bony-toothed bird from the late Oligocene/early Miocene of Oregon (USA) and the systematics of neogene Pelagornithidae: Journal of Paleontology, v. 87, p. 922–929.Google Scholar
Montes, M., Nozal, F., Santillana, S., Marenssi, S., and Olivero, E., 2013, Mapa Geológico de Isla Marambio (Seymour), Antártida, 1ª edición: Serie Cartográfica, escala, v. 1, p. 20.000.Google Scholar
Mourer-Chauviré, C., and Geraads, D., 2008, The Struthionidae and Pelagornithidae (Aves: Struthioniformes, Odontopterygiformes) from the late Pliocene of Ahl al Oughlam, Morocco: Oryctos, v. 7, p. 169–194.Google Scholar
Noriega, J., and Tambussi, C., 1996, The non penguin avifauna from the Eocene (early Oligocene?) of Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula: Fourth International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, Abstracts, p. 13.Google Scholar
Okazaki, Y., 1989, An occurence of fossil bony-toothed bird (Odontopterygiformes) from the Ashiya Group (Oligocene), Japan: Bulletin of the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History, v. 9, p. 123–126.Google Scholar
Olson, S.L., 1984, A brief synopsis of the fossil birds from the Pamunkey River and other Tertiary marine deposits in Virginia, in Ward, L.W., and Krafft, K., eds., Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Outcropping Tertiary Beds in the Pamunkey River Region, Central Virginia Coastal Plain, Guidebook for the 1984 Field Trip, Norfolk, Virginia, Atlantic Coastal Plain Geological Association, p. 217–223.Google Scholar
Olson, S.L., 1985, The fossil record of birds, in Farner, D.S., King, J.R., and Parkes, K.C., eds., Avian Biology, v. 8. New York, Academic Press, p. 79–238.Google Scholar
Olson, S.L., and Rasmussen, P.C.P., 2001, Miocene and Pliocene birds from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina: Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, v. 90, p. 233–365.Google Scholar
Ono, K., 1980, Pliocene tubinare bird from Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan: Memoirs of the National Science Museum, v. 13, p. 29–35.Google Scholar
Owen, R., 1870, On Dinornis (Part XIV), containing contributions to the craniology of the genus, with a description of a fossil cranium of Dasornis londinensis Ow., from the London Clay of Sheppey: Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, v. 7, p. 123–150.Google Scholar
Owen, R., 1873, Description of the skull of a dentigerous bird (Odontopteryx toliapicus, Ow.) from the London Clay of Sheppey: Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, v. 29, p. 511–522.Google Scholar
Porebski, S.J., 1995, Facies architecture in a tectonically controlled incised-valley estuary, p. La Meseta Formation (Eocene) of Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula, in Birkenmajer, K., ed., Geological Results of the Polish Antarctic Expeditions, Part XI: Studia Geologica Polonica, v. 107, p. 7–97.Google Scholar
Reguero, M., Goin, F., Acosta Hospitaleche, C., Dutra, T., and Marenssi, S., 2013, Late Cretaceous/Paleogene West Antarctica Terrestrial Biota and its Intercontinental Affinities, London, Springer Briefs in Earth System Sciences, London, 120 p.Google Scholar
Rincón, R.A.D., and Stucchi, M., 2003, Primer registro de la familia Pelagornithidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) para Venezuela: Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología, v. 37, p. 27–30.Google Scholar
Rubilar-Rogers, D., Yury-Yáñez, R., Mayr, G., Gutstein, C., and Otero, R., 2011, A humerus of a giant late Eocene Pseudo-toothed Bird from Antarctica: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (supplement to the online), p. 182.Google Scholar
Shufeldt, R.W., 1916, New extinct bird from South Carolina: Geological Magazine, v. 6, p. 343–347.Google Scholar
Stidham, T.A., 2004, New skull material of Osteodontornis orri (Aves: Pelagornithidae) from the Miocene of California: PaleoBios, v. 24, p. 7–12.Google Scholar
Stilwell, J.D., Jones, C.M., Levy, R.H., and Harwood, D.M., 1998, First fossil bird from East Antarctica: Antarctic Journal, v. 23, p. 12–16.Google Scholar
Tambussi, C., and Acosta Hospitaleche, C., 2007, Antarctic birds (Neornithes) during the Cretaceous-Eocene times: Revista de la Asociación Geológica, v. 62, p. 604–617.Google Scholar
Tambussi, C.P., and Degrange, F.J., 2013, South American and Antarctic continental Cenozoic birds, paleobiogeographic affinities and disparities, London, Springer Briefs in Earth System Sciences, 120 p.Google Scholar
Tonni, E.P., 1980, Un pseudodontornitido (Pelecaniformes, Odontopterygia) de gran tamaño, del Terciario temprano de Antártida: Ameghiniana, v. 17, p. 273–276.Google Scholar
Tonni, E., and Cione, A., 1978, Una nueva colección de vertebrados del Terciario inferior de la isla Vicecomodoro Marambio (Seymour Island), Antártida: Obras Centenario Museo de la Plata, v. 5, p. 73–79.Google Scholar
Tonni, E., and Tambussi, C., 1985, Nuevos restos de Odontopterygia (Aves: Pelecaniformes) del Terciario temprano de Antártida: Ameghiniana, v. 21, p. 121–124.Google Scholar
Wetmore, A., 1928, The systematic position of the fossil bird Cyphornis magnus: Canada Department of Mines Geological Survey Bulletin, v. 49, p. 1–4.Google Scholar