An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica
In 2006, a partial avian femur (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM) 78247) from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Sandwich Bluff Member of the López de Bertodano Formation of Sandwich Bluff on Vega Island of the northern Antarctic Peninsula was briefly reported as that of a cariami...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:942b8bc5b85a4c189e95542a8771e298 2024-01-07T09:39:59+01:00 An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica Abagael R. West Christopher R. Torres Judd A. Case Julia A. Clarke Patrick M. O'Connor Matthew C. Lamanna 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7231 https://doaj.org/article/942b8bc5b85a4c189e95542a8771e298 EN eng PeerJ Inc. https://peerj.com/articles/7231.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/7231/ https://doaj.org/toc/2167-8359 doi:10.7717/peerj.7231 2167-8359 https://doaj.org/article/942b8bc5b85a4c189e95542a8771e298 PeerJ, Vol 7, p e7231 (2019) Vegavis Cretaceous Antarctica Femur Cariamiformes Anseriformes Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7231 2023-12-10T01:52:30Z In 2006, a partial avian femur (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM) 78247) from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Sandwich Bluff Member of the López de Bertodano Formation of Sandwich Bluff on Vega Island of the northern Antarctic Peninsula was briefly reported as that of a cariamiform—a clade that includes extant and volant South American species and many extinct flightless and cursorial species. Although other authors have since rejected this taxonomic assignment, SDSM 78247 had never been the subject of a detailed description, hindering a definitive assessment of its affinities. Here we provide the first comprehensive description, illustration, and comparative study of this specimen. Comparison of characters that may be assessed in this femur with those of avian taxa scored in published character matrices refutes the inclusion of SDSM 78247 within Cariamiformes, instead supporting its assignment to a new, as-yet unnamed large-bodied species within the genus Vegavis, and therefore its referral to a clade of semiaquatic anseriforms. Important character states diagnostic of Vegavis + Polarornis include strong craniocaudal bowing of the femoral shaft, the presence of a distinct fossa just proximal to the fibular trochlea, and the broad and flat shape of the patellar sulcus. Referral to Vegavis is based on the presence of a distinctive proximocaudal fossa and distolateral scar. This genus was previously known only from Vegavis iaai, a smaller-bodied taxon from the same locality and stratigraphic unit. Our reassignment of SDSM 78247 to Vegavis sp. removes the record of cariamiform landbirds from the Antarctic Cretaceous. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Vega Island Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Fossa ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) Sandwich Bluff ENVELOPE(-57.569,-57.569,-63.832,-63.832) The Antarctic Vega Island ENVELOPE(-57.500,-57.500,-63.833,-63.833) PeerJ 7 e7231 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Vegavis Cretaceous Antarctica Femur Cariamiformes Anseriformes Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
spellingShingle |
Vegavis Cretaceous Antarctica Femur Cariamiformes Anseriformes Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Abagael R. West Christopher R. Torres Judd A. Case Julia A. Clarke Patrick M. O'Connor Matthew C. Lamanna An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Vegavis Cretaceous Antarctica Femur Cariamiformes Anseriformes Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
description |
In 2006, a partial avian femur (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM) 78247) from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Sandwich Bluff Member of the López de Bertodano Formation of Sandwich Bluff on Vega Island of the northern Antarctic Peninsula was briefly reported as that of a cariamiform—a clade that includes extant and volant South American species and many extinct flightless and cursorial species. Although other authors have since rejected this taxonomic assignment, SDSM 78247 had never been the subject of a detailed description, hindering a definitive assessment of its affinities. Here we provide the first comprehensive description, illustration, and comparative study of this specimen. Comparison of characters that may be assessed in this femur with those of avian taxa scored in published character matrices refutes the inclusion of SDSM 78247 within Cariamiformes, instead supporting its assignment to a new, as-yet unnamed large-bodied species within the genus Vegavis, and therefore its referral to a clade of semiaquatic anseriforms. Important character states diagnostic of Vegavis + Polarornis include strong craniocaudal bowing of the femoral shaft, the presence of a distinct fossa just proximal to the fibular trochlea, and the broad and flat shape of the patellar sulcus. Referral to Vegavis is based on the presence of a distinctive proximocaudal fossa and distolateral scar. This genus was previously known only from Vegavis iaai, a smaller-bodied taxon from the same locality and stratigraphic unit. Our reassignment of SDSM 78247 to Vegavis sp. removes the record of cariamiform landbirds from the Antarctic Cretaceous. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Abagael R. West Christopher R. Torres Judd A. Case Julia A. Clarke Patrick M. O'Connor Matthew C. Lamanna |
author_facet |
Abagael R. West Christopher R. Torres Judd A. Case Julia A. Clarke Patrick M. O'Connor Matthew C. Lamanna |
author_sort |
Abagael R. West |
title |
An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
title_short |
An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
title_full |
An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
An avian femur from the Late Cretaceous of Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the Mesozoic of Antarctica |
title_sort |
avian femur from the late cretaceous of vega island, antarctic peninsula: removing the record of cursorial landbirds from the mesozoic of antarctica |
publisher |
PeerJ Inc. |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7231 https://doaj.org/article/942b8bc5b85a4c189e95542a8771e298 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) ENVELOPE(-57.569,-57.569,-63.832,-63.832) ENVELOPE(-57.500,-57.500,-63.833,-63.833) |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Fossa Sandwich Bluff The Antarctic Vega Island |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Fossa Sandwich Bluff The Antarctic Vega Island |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Vega Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Vega Island |
op_source |
PeerJ, Vol 7, p e7231 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://peerj.com/articles/7231.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/7231/ https://doaj.org/toc/2167-8359 doi:10.7717/peerj.7231 2167-8359 https://doaj.org/article/942b8bc5b85a4c189e95542a8771e298 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7231 |
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PeerJ |
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7 |
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e7231 |
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1787430323965919232 |