A new extinct species of large bullfinch (Aves: Fringillidae: Pyrrhula) from Graciosa Island (Azores, North Atlantic Ocean)
Author
Pieper, H.
Author
Olson, Storrs L.
Author
Pereira, F.
Author
Alcover, J. A.
text
Zootaxa
2017
4282
3
567
583
journal article
32770
10.11646/zootaxa.4282.3.9
22ea29f7-981d-4151-aea9-4368dd306c09
1175-5326
828016
6BD20567-2071-433F-8AE0-AE4A780B612B
Pyrrhula
crassa
n.sp.
(
FIgureS 3
,
4
,
5
, and Supplementary fIgureS In AppendIX 2)
Holotype. MCMa 2002.016
: fragmentary mandIble, wIth a near Complete rIght half, wIthout proCeSSuS medIalIS mandIbulae and a fragment of the proCeSSuS CoronoIdeuS, and the left ramuS mandIbulae broken (
FIgure 3
A`). ColleCted by E. TorreS, J.C. Illera, J.C. Rando, H. PIeper, O. Runze & J.A. AlCover, 20–
24.06.2015
.
Type
locality.
Furna do CalCInhaS, Small Cave (
22.5 m
length,
7 m
wIde,
3.5 m
maXImum heIght) SItuated at
175 m
a.S.l. InSIde the CaldeIra volCano, SoutheaStern portIon of
Ilha
da GraCIoSa,
AzoreS
(
FIgure 1
).
Horizon.
HoloCene. The CaldeIra volCano IS 12,000 yearS old (
França
et al.
2003
), So the materIalS InSIde the Cave are neCeSSarIly younger. The remaInS of a
Fringilla
obtaIned In the Same SedImentary unIt
aS
the materIal of the new SpeCIeS yIelded a 14C age of 3029±31BP (1400-1190 Cal BC; RICH-21754).
FIGURE 3.
PremaXilla and mandible of
Pyrrhula
crassa
n.sp.
(A; MCMa 2003.016 holotype, A`; MCMa 2002.016, reVersed),
P. murina
(B, B`; SPEA-140) and
P. pyrrhula
(C; LARC- 2328, C`; CIPA-1570). From top to bottom: dorsal, Ventral and lateral VieWs. Quadrate of
P. crassa
n.sp.
(D; MCMa 1998.016),
P. pyrrhula
(E; CIPA-1570), and
Fringilla coelebs
(F; IMEDEA 12518). Lateral VieW.
FIGURE 4.
Coracoid, humerus and carpometacarpus of
Pyrrhula
crassa
n.sp.
(A),
P. murina
(B) and
P. pyrrhula
(C). From top to bottom: left coracoid dorsal VieW, left humerus caudal VieW and right carpometacarpus Ventral VieW. Right tibiotarsus of
P. crassa
n.sp.
(A`),
P. murina
(B`) and
P. pyrrhula
(C`), cranial VieW. From top to bottom (A): MCMa 2010.016, MCMa 1998.016, MCMa 2009.016; (B): SPEA-120; (C): CIPA 2057, CIPA 1570, CIPA 2328. (A`): MCMa 1998.016; (B`): SPEA- 120; (C`): LARC 2328.
FIGURE 5.
A: Skull and mandible, lateral VieW. From top to bottom:
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
, LARC 2328;
P. murina
, SPEA 120;
P. crassa
n.sp.
, based on premaXilla MCMa 2006.016 and mandible MCMa 2002.016. The missing parts haVe been added using the equiValent parts of
P. murina
. Scale = 1 cm. B: From top to bottom: aspect of eXtant
P. pyrrhula
;
P. murina
; and possible aspect in life of
P. crassa
n.sp.
(colours are speculatiVe). Art by Pau OliVer.
Status.
EXtInCt.
Etymology.
From LatIn,
crassa
, thICk, referrIng to the large SIze of the SpeCIeS and partICularly to ItS notably heavy bIll.
Vernacular names proposed:
Greater
AzoreS
BullfInCh (EnglISh) – PrIolo maIor doS
AçoreS
(PortugueSe).
Paratypes: MCMa 1998.016
: an aSSemblage of boneS found together, probably belongIng to an aSSoCIated IndIvIdual: 2 humerI (left and rIght), left CarpometaCarpuS; 2 quadratI, rIght tIbIotarSuS, left CoraCoId;
MCMa 1999.016
: fragmentary mandIble;
MCMa 2000.016
: fragmentary mandIble;
MCMa 2001.016
: fragmentary mandIble;
MCMa 2003.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2004.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2005.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2006.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2007.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2008.016
: fragmentary premaXIlla;
MCMa 2009.016
: aSSoCIated rIght humeruS and rIght CarpometaCarpuS;
MCMa 2010.016
: rIght CarpometaCarpuS. All the boneS were ColleCted by E. TorreS, J.C. Illera, J.C. Rando, H. PIeper, O. Runze & J.A. AlCover, 20.–
24.06.2015
, eXCeptIng the mandIble
MCMa 1999.016
, ColleCted by E. TorreS, F. PereIra and J.A. AlCover,
12.09.2014
. See Supplementary fIgureS S1, S2 and S3.
TABLE 1.
Cranial measurements (traits 1–16; as in figure 2) of
Pyrrhula
crassa
n. sp.
,
P. murina
,
P. pyrrhula
and
P. erythaca
. Mean length (mm) ± standard error, sample size shown in brackets and range.
P. crassa
n.sp.
P. murina
P. pyrrhula
P. erythaca
1:Cranium length 28.4 (1) 26.6±0.8 (10) 26.6±0.2 (4)
25.0–28.5 26.4–27
Diagnosis.
Quadrate larger than In any other known SpeCIeS of
Pyrrhula
. The premaXIlla IS very robuSt, whIle the noStrIlS are relatIvely Smaller In relatIon to the bIll SIze than they are In
P. murina
or
P. pyrrhula
, and the proCeSSuS dorSonarIalIS IS relatIvely wIde (84% and 50% wIder than In
P. pyrrhula
and
P. murina
reSpeCtIvely). The mandIble IS muCh larger, hIgher and more robuSt than In CongenerS. The SymphySeal part of the mandIble IS hIgher than In ItS CongenerS (on average, 75.6% hIgher than In
P. pyrrhula
and 42% than In
P. murina
), whIle ItS length IS only 57% longer than In
P. pyrrhula
and 32% longer than In
P. murina
. The humeruS, CarpometaCarpuS, CoraCoId, and tIbIotarSuS are longer and more robuSt than In the other known SpeCIeS of the genuS (
FIgureS 3
and
4
).