Phasianus bulgaricus sp. n. (1 Viewer)

Zlatozar Boev, 2020

First European Neogene record of true pheasants from Gorna Sushitsa (SW Bulgaria)

Historia naturalis bulgarica 41: 33–39

ISSN 0205-3640 (print) | ISSN 2603-3186 (online) http://www.nmnhs.com/historia-naturalis-bulgarica/
Publication date [online]: 18 March 2020

Abstract:

A late Miocene (Middle Turolian) ulna is described as a holotype of Phasianus bulgaricus sp. n.. This find is the first record of Neogene true pheasants in Europe.

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Enjoy,

Fred

Systematic Paleontology

Order GALLIFORMES (Temminck, 1820)
Family Phasianidae Horsfield, 1821
Subfamily Phasianinae Horsfield, 1821
Genus Phasianus Linnaeus, 1758
Phasianus bulgaricus sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/E9DAE47B-3FD3-48B3-82A3-66424477E3F1

Holotype: ulna prox. sin. NMNHS 15143 (Fig. 1), collections of the Vertebrate Animals Department of the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Collected in 2006 by the joint Bulgarian-French team, during the palaeontological field excavations, organised by the NMNHS.

Etymology: The name bulgaricus is given after the name of Bulgaria, the country where the specimen originates from.

Differential diagnosis: A medium-sized fossil species in the genus Phasianus, differing from the recent Phasianus colchicus by: (1) the wider depressio m. brachialis; (2) the more approached medial edge of depressio m. brachialis to the medial linea intermuscularis on the medial side of the bone; (3) wider impressio m. scapulotricipitis; (4) the blunt instead sharp, ending of depressio m. brachialis at its proximal end; (5) more straight, instead bent lateral edge of the profile of the bone in dorsal view; (6) blunt instead sharp, ending of depressio m. brachialis at its proximal end.

Preservation: The holotype represents a proximal bone fragment, which is almost 2/3 of the total length of the bone.

Locality: Vicinity of Gorna Sushitsa Village, SE of town of Sandanski (Blagoevgrad Region, SW Bulgaria; 41°555′N, 23°384′E. UTM grid: FM73.

Chronology: MN11-12 zone, Late Miocene, Middle Turolian.

Fred

Fig. 1: Phasianus bulgaricus sp. n. – ulna sin. prox. NMNHS 15143 (holotype) Gorna Sushitsa Village (Blagoevgrad Region): ventral view (a), medial view (b), dorsal view (c). Photographs: Assen Ignatov; Phasianus colchicus – ulna sin. prox. NMNHS 60/2016 Brestnitsa (Lovech Region, NC Bulgaria): ventral view (d), medial view (e), dorsal view (f). Photographs: Zlatozar Boev.