The fossil avifauna of the tar seeps Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, Cuba
Author
Suárez, William
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-05-22
4780
1
1
53
journal article
21918
10.11646/zootaxa.4780.1.1
af0a7e60-adc6-4896-8544-63725501fa13
1175-5326
3856493
D6CC1683-8BF0-4ABF-ABFE-3EC63E66AE5C
†
Oscaravis olsoni
(
Arredondo & Arredondo, 2002b
)
Cuban Teratorn; Teratorno Cubano
(
Figure 5
: A–F)
FIGURE 5.
Oscaravis olsoni
: Left
tibiotarsus (MNHNCu 75.4659) in anterior (A), distal (B), and medial (C) views; left tarsometatarsus (MNHNCu 75.4661) in anterior (D) and posterior (E) views; right tarsometatarsus (MNHNCu 75.4662) in distal view (F). Scale = 2 cm.
Teratornis olsoni
Arredondo & Arredondo, 2002b
, Poeyana, no. 470–475 [for 1999], p.16.
Referred material.
San Felipe I: Right cuneiform, MNHNCu 75.4663; distal half of fragmentary left tibiotarsus, MNHNCu 75.4659; distal end of right tibiotarsus without anterior portions of the external condyle, MNHNCu 75.4660; distal end of right tibiotarsus without condyles, MNHNCu 75.4858; distal end of right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4662. San Felipe
II
: Distal end of fragmentary left femur, MNHNCu 75.4857; distal end of left tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4661.
Description.
Cuneiform resembles
Teratornis merriami
L.
Miller, 1909
, in general morphology although it is massive, especially in its ventral ramus, with greater ulnar joint and dorsal ramus connected to the body of the bone at a more open angle than in
T
.
merriami
or
Aiolornis incredibilis
Campbell, Scott & Springer, 1999
(see also
Howard 1952
). For description of the femur, an element partially known in the deposits under study, see
Arredondo & Arredondo (2002b)
, and
Suárez & Olson (2009a)
. Tibiotarsus (
Fig. 5
A–C) with a broad and expanded shaft at its junction with the condyles, broad tendinal groove and foramen, reduced internal condyle, wide intercondylar fossa (proximad). Tarsometatarsus (
Fig. 5
D–F) with short trochlea metatarsi III, proportionally long trochleae metatarsorum II and IV; relatively wide intertrochlear spaces. For comparisons, measurements, and a more complete description of this material, see
Suárez & Olson (2009a)
.
Comments.
The extinct family
Teratornithidae
was recorded outside continental America as
Teratornis
sp., by
Suárez & Arredondo (1997)
. Following this record,
T
.
olsoni
Arredondo & Arredondo, 2002b
, was described from
Cuba
, based on part of the fossils then known. New material (including specimens treated here), and a first revision of the Cuban Teratorn allowed erection of the genus
Oscaravis
(
Suárez & Olson 2009a
)
.
Oscaravis olsoni
has a larger size compared with
Taubatornis campbelli
Olson & Alvarenga, 2002
, but is smaller than the remaining taxa described in different genera for the family (
Teratornis
L.
Miller 1909
,
Cathartornis
L.
Miller 1910
,
Argentavis
Campbell & Tonni 1980
,
Aiolornis
Campbell
et al
. 1999
; see also
Campbell & Stenger 2002
). This teratorn provides evidence of the ability of some members of
Teratornithidae
for overwater dispersal, not dependent on a continuous land bridge for expansion to North America (
Olson & Alvarenga 2002
;
Suárez & Olson 2009a
).
Orihuela (2019:53)
erroneously stated that in
Cuba
was “un teratornítido con adaptaciones que indican capacidades nulas o limitadas de vuelo” [a teratornitid with adaptations that indicate no or limited flight capabilities]. In the anatomy of
O
.
olsoni
such adaptations do not exist (see
Arredondo & Arredondo 2002b
;
Suárez & Olson 2009a
).