The cretaceous birds of New JerseyOlson, Storrs L.
Science
The cretaceous birds of New Jersey
Olson, Storrs L.
Birds, Fossil; Paleontology -- Cretaceous; Paleontology -- New Jersey
Measurements (in mm).--Distal ends of humeri (YPM 840, YPM 845, ANSP
15360, respectively): distal width 10.9, 10.1, 11.3; depth through
dorsal condyle 5.7, 5.2, 5.5; width of shaft at proximal extent of
brachial fossa 6.3, 5.5,6.4; length from distal end of pectoral crest
to ventral condyle (ANSP 15360 only) 45.1; shaft width at midpoint
(ANSP 15360 only) 4.7.
Proximal end of humerus YPM 850: proximal width through dorsal and
ventral tubercles 13.1; depth through bicipital surface and ventral
condyle 7.5, depth of head approximately 3.5.
Proximal end of ulna NJSM 11900: depth through dorsal cotyla 7.0.
Distal end of carpometacarpus YPM 840: depth at distal end 5.3; shaft
width 2.9.
Distal end of tibiotarsus ANSP 13361: shaft width 3.5, approximate
depth through medial condyle 6.9.
Distal end of tarsometatarsus NJSM 11853: distal width 6.1+; shaft
width 2.7.
Pedal phalanx 1 of digit II: length 14.6; proximal width 3.0.
Comparisons.--This is evidently the most abundant bird in the
New Jersey Cretaceous deposits. Hitherto it had been known only
from the two distal ends of humeri that are the holotypes of
_Telmatornis priscus_ and _T. affinis_. Marsh (1870) did not clearly
place _Telmatornis_ with any living family but mentioned species
of Rallidae, Scolopacidae, and Ardeidae in his comparisons. Hay
(1902:528) listed the genus under the Rallidae. Shufeldt (1915:26)
considered that _Telmatornis_ was not a heron but might be related
either to rail-like or charadriiform birds, the material, according
to him, being insufficient for positive determination. He (1915:27)
also described a larger species, _Telmatornis rex_, which we have
removed to a new genus. Lambrecht (1933:489) maintained _Telmatornis_
as a genus incertae sedis in his order Ralliformes. Brodkorb (1967)
placed the genus in the family Rallidae, subfamily Rallinae, without
comment. Cracraft (1972) established that Telmatornis did not belong
in the Rallidae but was instead very similar to the Burhinidae. He
synonymized _T. affinis_ with _T. priscus_ and created a new family,
Telmatornithidae, for _T. priscus_ and _T. rex_.
We concur in synonymizing _T. affinis_ with _T. priscus_. The holotypes
and the new specimen of humerus (ANSP 15360), which is instructive in
that it preserves much more of the shaft (Figure 6_c_), are indeed
very similar to the humeri in the Burhinidae. In size they are closely
comparable to the small living species _Burhinus vermiculatus_ (cf.
Figure 6_g,h_). The fossils differ from _Burhinus_ in having (1) the
shaft less curved, both in dorsal and in lateral views; (2) brachial
depression shorter, wider, and slightly more distally located; in
distal view (3) the ventral condyle smaller and less rounded; and (4)
the dorsal tricipital groove shallower.
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