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Marocortyx gen. nov. and Chauvireria axaina, Chauvireria egorovkensis, Coturnix augustus, Plioperdix boevi, & Tologuica vetusta spp. nov. (1 Viewer)

albertonykus

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Zelenkov, N.V. (2024)
The diversity and evolution of quails and allies (Aves: Galliformes: Phasianidae: Coturnicini) in the Miocene–Early Pleistocene of Eurasia
Paleontological Journal 58: 1089–1193

Introduction
doi: 10.1134/S0031030124600860

The introduction provides general information on the diversity, evolutionary history, and fossil record of quails and allies (Aves: Phasianidae: Coturnicini). Estimates on the dates of divergence of particular taxa of Coturnicini based on molecular data are critically reviewed. It is concluded that most of the divergence dates are too old, since they are based on inappropriate fossil calibrations. When appropriate calibrations are used, estimated divergence dates are much more consistent with the overall fossil record of this group.

Chapter 1. Comparative osteology and phylogeny of quails and allies (Coturnicini)
doi: 10.1134/S0031030124600872

This chapter provides a short account of the comparative osteology of modern members of Coturnicini. Coracoids, humeri, carpometacarpi, and tarsometatarsi are used in this study as the most diagnostic skeletal elements and those which are often available as fossils. Main diagnostic characters are indicated for these bones. The osteological nomenclature is provided. Additionally, the phylogenetic relationships between several fossil taxa of Phasianidae are investigated. Preliminary results of a new phylogenetic analysis for Galliformes are given. The fossil taxa Tologuica, Chauvireria, and Plioperdix are recovered as close relatives of modern Coturnix quails. The fossil Palaeocryptonyx is ambiguously placed as a basal taxon within Coturnicini.

Chapter 2. Material and localities
doi: 10.1134/S0031030124600884

This chapter describes the main localities of fossil Eurasian coturnicines (Aves: Phasianidae: Coturnicini). The age and fauna of the Sansan locality (Middle Miocene; France) and Tagay locality (latest Early–early Middle Miocene; East Siberia), which yielded the oldest finds of coturnicines in Eurasia, are discussed in more detail. The geological description of the Sharga locality (Middle Miocene; Mongolia), Hyargas-Nuur 2 locality (Khirgiz-Nur; Miocene–Pleistocene; Mongolia), and Chono-Harayah 1 and 2 localities (Chono-Khariakh; Pliocene; Mongolia) are given as of 2010.

Chapter 3. Systematics of fossil quails and allies (Coturnicini)
doi: 10.1134/S0031030124600896

This chapter provides a systematic description of all confirmed or reliable finds of fossil coturnicines (Aves: Galliformes: Phasianidae: Coturnicini) from the Miocene to the Lower Pleistocene of Eurasia, as well as North Africa (Morocco). Previously published data are reviewed and newly described materials come from the Miocene to the Lower Pleistocene of Eastern Europe (Ukraine and European part of Russia) and Eastern Siberia (Baikal), as well as from the Upper Pliocene of Mongolia. The oldest member of the Coturnicini clade (Tologuica vetusta sp. nov.) is described from the uppermost Lower Miocene-lowermost Middle Miocene of Baikal area (Tagay locality). Members of the fossil genus Tologuica are present in the upper Middle Miocene of Mongolia and the fossil genus Palaeoperdix, which is here revised and transferred to Coturnicini, is known from the upper Middle Miocene of Europe (Palaeoperdix longipes Milne-Edwards, 1869 and Palaeoperdix grivensis (Ennouchi, 1930) comb. nov.). Plioperdix (“Palaeocryptonyx”) hungarica (Jánossý, 1991) from the Upper Miocene of Hungary is transferred to Palaeoperdix. Mioryaba magyarica Zelenkov, 2016 is shown to be similar to modern Perdicula. Several Upper Miocene through Lower Pleistocene coturnicine taxa are assigned to the fossil genera Chauvireria and Plioperdix, with several new species erected: Chauvireria egorovkensis sp. nov., Chauvireria axaina sp. nov., and Plioperdix boevi sp. nov. (all of them from the Upper Miocene of North Black Sea area). The Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene taxon Plioperdix (“Francolinus”) capeki (Lambrecht, 1933) is transferred to Palaeocryptonyx, and the Late Pliocene taxa Palaeocryptonyx novaki Sánchez Marco, 2009 from Spain and Plioperdix africana Mourer-Chauriré & Geraads, 2010 from Morocco are transferred to a new genus, Marocortyx gen. nov., which is considered a morphologically transitional form between Alectoris and Margaroperdix. The new finds of Palaeocryptonyx donnezani Depéret, 1892 are described, which were previously partly treated as Plioperdix pontica. Some previously published finds of P. donnezani are revised. The oldest find of Coturnix quails in the region is from the Upper Pliocene of Mongolia (Shaamar) and is described as Coturnix augustus sp. nov. Coturnix coturnix is further described from the Lower Pleistocene of Crimea (Taurida Cave).

Chapter 4. Evolutionary history of quails and allies (Coturnicini)
doi: 10.1134/S0031030124600902

In this chapter, I discuss the Neogene and Early Pleistocene fossil record of Coturnicini and provide a synthesis of the evolutionary history of the group in Eurasia based on paleontological data. I discuss the early stages of the evolution of the group, paying special attention to Tologuica, the well-known early representatives of Coturnicini from Mongolia and Eastern Siberia. The coexistence of the genera Chauvireria and Plioperdix in the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene of Eastern Europe mark a separate well-represented stage in the evolution of the group in Eurasia. Possible distinctive specialization and different adaptations of these taxa are briefly discussed. In Western and Central Europe, coturnicines are represented by the separate genera Palaeocryptonyx and Palaeoperdix, both known starting from the Middle Miocene. The genus Palaeoperdix comprises quail-like forms, whereas the species of Palaeocryptonyx are phylogenetically more distant from Coturnix and relatives. The Late Pliocene species Chauvireria minor and Palaeocryptonyx capeki are considered as the most specialized taxa within these genera (both probably confined to grassy vegetation landscapes), and the Afro-Iberian taxon Marocortyx is considered a transitional form (showing similarities with modern Margaroperdix) between Alectoris-like coturnicines and highly-specialized quails. Africa may have played an important role in the evolution of the group, although some of the diversification of Coturnicini obviously occurred in Asia. The oldest occurrences of modern taxa are discussed, with a special emphasis on the evolution of Coturnix quails, which first occur in Eurasia in the Late Pliocene of Mongolia, but spread across Europe only in the Calabrian of the Early Pleistocene.
 

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