Birds from the Miocene of Namibia (1 Viewer)

[albertonykus]

Mourer-Chauviré, C., M. Pickford, H. Mocke, and A. Nduutepo (2023)
Small birds (Psittaculidae, Galliformes and Passeri) from the Early Miocene of Namibia
Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia 26: 10–20

Several post-cranial bones of small birds collected from Early Miocene deposits at Grillental in the Sperrgebiet, Namibia, are attributed to three groups, a small parrot-like species (Psittaculidae), a songbird (Passeriformes) and a gamebird (Galliformes). All three are among the earliest records of their respective groups in Africa. The lovebird specimens, in particular, greatly extend the fossil record of the family in the continent from the previous earliest record at Langebaanweg, South Africa (ca 6-5 Ma) to the Early Miocene (ca 20-19 Ma). The material is an interesting source of information about palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimate and, as an assemblage, it indicates that the locality was more humid than it is today, and that it lay within the summer rainfall belt, in contrast to the hyper-arid conditions with winter rainfall that prevail in this part of the continent at present.

 

[Fred Ruhe]

Systematic study

Order Psittaciformes Wagler 1830
Superfamily Psittacoidea Rafinesque-Schmaltz 1815 (sensu Joseph et al. 2012)
Family Psittaculidae Vigors 1825
Subfamily Agapornithinae Salvin 1882
Genus Agapornis Selby 1836

Type species :- Agapornis swindernianus Kuhl, 1820

Species Agapornis incertae sedis

Locality :- Grillental VI, Sperrgebiet, Namibia

Age :- Early Miocene, ca 20-19 Ma.

Material :- GSN GT 39’23, left humerus, distal part, GSN GT 38’23, left carpometacarpus.

Fred


Figure 1. Agapornis sp. from Grillental VI (A - distal left humerus, GSN GT 39’23), Agapornis attenboroughi Langebaanweg (B - right humerus,) and extant Agapornis roseicollis (C - right humerus). Images B and C are modified from Manegold (2013) (A1-C1 : cranial views, A2-C2 : caudal views) (scale bars : 5 mm).

 

[Fred Ruhe]

Order Galliformes Linnaeus 1758
Family Phasianidae Vigors 1825
cf Genus Palaeortyx Milne-Edwards 1869

Material :- Left tarsometatarsus, distal part, GSN GT 104’19

Fred


Figure 2. Stereo images of GSN GT 104’19, distal left tarsometatarsus of cf Palaeortyx sp. A) dorsal views, B) distal views, C) plantar views.

 

[Fred Ruhe]

Order Passeriformes Linnaeus 1758
Suborder Passeri Sibley et al. 1988
Genus incertae sedis

Material :- GSN GT 54’23, left tarsometatarsus, distal part

Fred


Figure 3. GSN GT 54’23, left tarsometatarsus of a small passerine bird from Grillental VI, Sperrgebiet, Namibia. A) dorsal view, B) plantar view