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
The three specimens of _Palaeotringa_ Marsh from the Cretaceous of New
Jersey are based on poorly preserved distal ends of tibiotarsi. The
holotype of _Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870 (Figure 7_n_) is similar
in size to the comparable element in _Burhinus vermiculatus_, though
with a relatively more slender shaft, and hence is from a bird the
size of _T. priscus_, being smaller than any of the other species of
_Palaeotringa_. It is more similar to _Presbyornis_ than to _Burhinus_.
Because it is from a charadriiform the size of _T. priscus_, as first
revisers we tentatively consider _Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870,
to be a subjective synonym of _Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870. The
only alternative would be to consign it to Aves incertae sedis. It is
of passing historical interest to recall Marsh's (1870:209) comment
that the type of _Palaeotringa vetus_ “apparently was the first fossil
bird-bone discovered in this country,” having been mentioned both by
Morton (1834) and Harlan (1835) as belonging to the genus _Scolopax_
(Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae).
The distal portion of tarsometatarsus NJSM 11853 (Figure 7_d,g,f_)
is unfortunately quite abraded. It is from a small charadriiform and
has a shaft width about the same as in _Burhinus vermiculatus_. If
this fossil came from an individual of _Telmatornis priscus_, as we
assume, _T. priscus_ being the smallest and most abundant “graculavid”
in the New Jersey Cretaceous deposits, then it is a very instructive
specimen, for it differs much more from Burhinus than does the humerus
of Telmatornis. NJSM 11853 differs from the Burhinidae and agrees with
_Presbyornis_ in having (1) the distal foramen proportionately large
and oval, not very small and circular; (2) a large, well-developed scar
for the hallux (hallux absent in Burhinidae); (3) external trochlea
proximodistally more elongate. That which remains of the inner trochlea
indicates that it was (1) somewhat more posteriorly retracted than
in _Burhinus_ but (2) not nearly as elevated and retracted as in
_Presbyornis_.
Pedal phalanx ANSP 15541 (Figure 7_a_) is from a bird the size of _T.
priscus_. This specimen is much longer and more slender than phalanx 1
of digit II in _Burhinus vermiculatus_ but has almost exactly the shape
and proportions of the same element in _Presbyornis_ (Figure 7_b_),
although being much smaller. Although its assignment to _Telmatornis_
is very tentative, the length of this element seems to indicate a
wading bird as opposed to one with the terrestrially adapted shorter
toes of the Burhinidae.
=Genus _Anatalavis_, new genus=
Type-Species.--Telmatornis rex Shufeldt, 1915.
Included Species.--Type-species only.
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