FOSSIL BIRDS FROM LINQU,SHANDONG

Yeh Hsiang-k'uei (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology,Academia Sinica)  

After the discovery of Shandongornis shanwanensis Yeh,1977 from diatomacousshale of “Shanwan Series” of Linqu,Shandong Province,two another specimens of fossil bird were unearthed respectively by the members of Shandong Museum andothers in 1978 from the same locality,and were sent to our Institute for determinationlast spring.One of the specimens is a large individual,but incomplete;while theother is of medium size and excellently preserved.They clearly belong to the differentOrders,and a brief note of them is now given as follows:Order AnseriformesFamily AnatidacGenus Sinanas,gen.nov.Generic diagnosis——as for the species.Sinanas diatomas,sp.nov.(Pl.Ⅰ)Type An almost complete skeleton,only the anterior part of the skull and rightfoot missing,Locality and Horizon Linqu,Shandong;Middle Miocene(“Shanwan Series”).Diagnosis Medium size,neck somewhat long,cervical vertebrate more than 13.Humerus long,and with its length slightly longer than that of ulna or radius.Tarso-metatarsus short,only 40mm.in length.Four toes,long and slender,three of themdirected forward,and stand on a same plane;the other one(first toe)rearward,shorter and higher than others.Remarks In view of the general features of the specimen,especially the struc-tures of tarso-metatarsus,feet,and,seemingly,the presence of print of web,the fossilbird from Shandong is doubtless a member of waterfowl.The size of skeleton and thecharacters of bones of the present specimen are closely comparable with those seen inthe members of genus Anas,but it differs from them by its stoutness appearing inbones of limbs.It is therefore a new genus and species,Sinanas diatomas,of FamilyAnatidae here proposed.The fossil records of Family Anatiade and even Order Anseriformes of our countryare very rare.Only some fragments of genus Anser and Anas have been collectedfrom Pliocene and Pleistocene.The present specimen hence represents the mostcomplete and earliest one of this group of animals so far known in China.For details of new form references may be made to the accompanying plate Ⅰwhich is about half of nature size.Order GalliformesFamily PhasianidaeGenus Linquornis,gen.nov.Generic diagnosis——as for the speciesLinquornis gigantis,sp.nov.(Fig.1;Pl.Ⅱ)Type A partly preserved skeleton,only its humerus,ulna and radius of one sideand hind legs can be observed clearly.Bones of trunk and girdles are broken anddisplaced,but part of sternum,ribs,coracoid and antebrachium of other side are stillhardly distinguished.On the surface of tibia,there are several rocky concretions whichhave not been taken away.Locality and Horizon As for the Sinanas diatomas just mentioned above.Diagnosis Size large,bones stout and powerful.Tarso-metatarsus though longer than length of middle toe and its claw,but still shorter than that of tibia.Footanisodactylous in form,first toe shorter and higher than others.Phalanges strong,claws compressed laterally.Remarks Though the hind leg of present bird looks somewhat long,it isessentially not so when correlated with its gigantic individual,the measurement oftarso-metatarsus is only 144 mm.in length which is still shorter than that of tibia(190mm).It is impossible that the specimen is a member of wading birds whichusually occurred a very long and slender tarso-metatarsus.Judging from the char-acters of strong and stout hind legs,the powerful phalanges and claws,and,first ofall,the presence of spur as if explained in figure 1,it seems reasonable that we considerpresent fossil as a member of Order Galliformes.In this Order,the Polyplectronbicalcaratum and Pavo muticus of Family Phasianidae are large forms now living inour country,but the fossil bird still larger than the former one,while it is somewhatcomparable with the latter one which no fossil record so far has been known.Thepresent specimen differs also from Parapavo,a large form of Pleistocene of NorthAmerica,by its larger individual.It is the largest fossil specimen of this group so farknown in China.The present author therefore considers it as a new form ofPhasianidae,Galliformes,and the name Linquornis gigantis,gen.et sp.nov.,is proposed.As for the details of the specimen,particularly those of hind feet which overlapedeach other in the preservation,a reference can be made to the accompanying figure 1and plate Ⅱ.So far,we have obtained three specimens of fossil birds from diatomite bed of“Shanwan Series”,it seems hopeful that we can get more of this group of animalsfrom there.

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