Luscinia janossyi (1 Viewer)

Today I had a very fruitful discussion with Professor Jenö (Eugen) Kessler from Hungary about a species name I found in Eugen Kessler & Márton Venczel, 2011
A New Passeriform Bird from the Middle Miocene of Subpiatră
Nymphaea Folia Naturae Bihariae 38: 17-22
(Free pdf https://www.researchgate.net/public...rom_the_Middle_Miocene_of_Subpiatra_W-Romania)

The species name was Luscinia janossyi Kessler, 2011.

As this species was totally unknown to me I asked Professor Kessler to give me some information and, if possible, the description of the new species.

Just now I received the answer from professor Kessler: Yes, simply, the species name was incorrectly given. The L. denesi is good.

So, Luscinia janossyi Kessler, 2011 is a Nomen Nudum and should be listed in the synonymy of Luscinia denesi Kessler, 2013.

Both the names are dedicated to Denes Jánossy, a paleornithologist from Hungary who described many species.

Have fun,

Fred

Seems a bit odd to me to put a ~12 million year old bird in a modern genus of a fairly fast-evolving family?

Nutcracker said:

Seems a bit odd to me to put a ~12 million year old bird in a modern genus of a fairly fast-evolving family?

Click to expand...

Well, first of all, I did not describe the species, I have not seen it, apart from a picture, and I did not study it. Passeriformes are for me (as a lover of paleo-species just like rodents in the bush, they all look the same, also in their osteology, but professor Kessler has less problems with the osteology of Passeriformes, see https://www.researchgate.net/public...ogical_guide_of_songbirds_from_Central_Europe).

After the Late Oligocene crown group genera appear in the fossil record, genera like Crypturellus, Eudromia, Struthio, Pavo, Tympanuchus, Syrmaticus, Phasianus, Lophura, Cyrtonyx, Cygnus, Anser, Branta, Histrionicus, Clangula, Bucephala, Mergus, Aix, Aythya, Anas, Gavia, well, I can go on and on, of course, some of those genera will be changed in review and restudy, and you can say, you only mention Ratitae and Galloanserae, early taxa of the modern Aves. That is right, but there are also many Miocene modern genera in other orders. In the Passeriformes: Menura, Orthonyx, Daphoenositta, Lanius, Corvus, Melanocorypha, and so on and on. So I see no problems with the genus name of Luscinia denesi, but perhaps a future review will change the genus. At this moment Luscinia denesi Kessler, 2013 is the name that stands.

I would advise you to read some books on fossil birds and evolution of birds before you bring species or genera in doubt

Regards,

Fred

P.S. If you want to know more about bird evolution from the paleornitological point of view try to find a copy of Gerald Mayr's 2016 book Avian Evolution The Fossil Record of Birds and Its Paleobiological Significance, or contact me, using your name, not your alias.