1947/01/01 by Alden H. Miller · 8 citations
Environmental Science · #Fish biology, ecology, and behavior #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Miller #Genus #Zoology #Biology #Archaeology #Geography #Paleontology
paper · open access · doi:10.2307/1364424
published in Ornithological Applications 49(1), 22-24 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 1947/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In the past the microfauna of the Ranch0 La Brea Pleistocene has been collected and prepared much less assiduously than have the large birds and mammals of this richly fossiliferous asphalt deposit.In the last year, however, Dr. W. Dwight Pierce and George Kanakoff of the Los Angeles Museum have developed a sifting technique for recovery of small fossils from the matrix and have obtained from Pit "A," excavated in 1929, a wealth of small bird and mammal bones.Dr. Hildegarde Howard in sorting t.he bird bones discovered some bill parts of icterids which she kindly invited me to study and describe.These consist of an upper mandible, complete except for the extreme tip and the lateral border of the nasal fossa on one side, and two right lower mandibles, one nearly complete to the symphysis, the other lacking the posterior half.The more complete lower mandible has a tomial curvature and size that seem to fit properly with the upper mandible, and the two may be assigned to the same species until such time as actual association otherwise may be demonstrated.The second lower mandible probably is not of the same species, but it cannot be definitely allocated.The upper mandible, although distinctly icterine, has a number of structural features which set it apart from any living or known fossil genus of the family Icteridae.It may be known as Pandanaris convexa. Pandanaris, new genusGeneric characters.-Uppermandible similar to that of Tangavizrs and Molothrus in shortness and great basal depth, and in shape and depth of central groove of palatal surface, but narial opening much larger (about 30 per cent, relatively) and anterobasal angle of opening more acute; culmen uniformly curved from base; without basal hummock present to varying degree in most icterids; internarial bridge broad, hence wholly different from that of cowbirds and blackbirds (including Pyelorhmnphu-s), the breadth equivalent to that in some caciques (Amblycercus and Cacicus), but without any of the associated restriction of narial opening found in that group of icterids.Type.-Pandanwis convem.Pandanaris tinvexa, new species Type.-Upper mandible (figs.4a, 4b, 4c), including all of premaxillary, except extreme tip, the maxilla, except delicate maxillopalatine process, and lateral ramus of nasal on left side, no.Kf278 Los Angeles Museum, from Pleistocene of Ranch0 La Brea, Los Angeles, California; excavated from Pit "A" in 1929 Description.-Seefeatures given in generic characterization ; in addition, tomium curved in lateral view, especially basally beneath anterior end of nasal fossa, as in Molothms; basal half of culmen flat, not ridged, and posterior end of intemarial bridke but slightly narrower than anterior end ; posteroventral margin of nostril distinctly angled, not rounded. .Referred lower mandible.-Thelower mandible (figs.4b, 4d), no.K7279, seems somewhat long to correspond with the type until one fits it in place and notes in cowbirds a similar alignment of the posterior edge of the scar for the horn sheath with the posterior margin of the nasal fossa.Tomium viewed dorsally essentially straight and in line with ramus, not concave as in Pyelorhamphus, the extinct Quaternary icterid from New Mexico (Miller, Auk, 49, 1942:39) ; tomium in lateral profile convex throughout; ramus posterior to termination of horn sheath strongly deflected downward; depth of mandible at posterior part of tomium much greater (60-70 per cent) than in Euphaws; articular area similar to that of Molothrus and Euphugus and unlike many genera of icterids in which the external postarticular process is distinctly elongated, associated with forceful opening of the mandibles for purposes of prying.Measurements.-Uppermandible: