Book contents
- Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia
- Frontispiece
- Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Background for a paleoecological study of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene) on the Atlantic Coast of Patagonia
- 2 Tephrochronology of the Miocene Santa Cruz and Pinturas Formations, Argentina
- 3 Absolute and relative ages of fossil localities in the Santa Cruz and Pinturas Formations
- 4 Sedimentology and paleoenvironment of the Santa Cruz Formation
- 5 Oysters from the base of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene) of Patagonia
- 6 Ichnology of distal overbank deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene): paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic significance
- 7 Fossil plant studies from late Early Miocene of the Santa Cruz Formation: paleoecology and paleoclimatology at the passive margin of Patagonia, Argentina
- 8 Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina: paleoenvironmental and paleobiological considerations
- 9 Diversity and paleobiology of the Santacrucian birds
- 10 Paleoecology of the Paucituberculata and Microbiotheria (Mammalia, Marsupialia) from the late Early Miocene of Patagonia
- 11 Paleoecology of the mammalian carnivores (Metatheria, Sparassodonta) of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene)
- 12 Paleobiology of Santacrucian glyptodonts and armadillos (Xenarthra, Cingulata)
- 13 Paleobiology of the Santacrucian sloths and anteaters (Xenarthra, Pilosa)
- 14 Paleobiology of Santacrucian native ungulates (Meridiungulata: Astrapotheria, Litopterna and Notoungulata)
- 15 Paleobiology of Santacrucian caviomorph rodents: a morphofunctional approach
- 16 Paleobiology of Santacrucian primates
- 17 A review of the paleoenvironment and paleoecology of the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation
- Index
9 - Diversity and paleobiology of the Santacrucian birds
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2013
- Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia
- Frontispiece
- Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Background for a paleoecological study of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene) on the Atlantic Coast of Patagonia
- 2 Tephrochronology of the Miocene Santa Cruz and Pinturas Formations, Argentina
- 3 Absolute and relative ages of fossil localities in the Santa Cruz and Pinturas Formations
- 4 Sedimentology and paleoenvironment of the Santa Cruz Formation
- 5 Oysters from the base of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene) of Patagonia
- 6 Ichnology of distal overbank deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene): paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic significance
- 7 Fossil plant studies from late Early Miocene of the Santa Cruz Formation: paleoecology and paleoclimatology at the passive margin of Patagonia, Argentina
- 8 Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina: paleoenvironmental and paleobiological considerations
- 9 Diversity and paleobiology of the Santacrucian birds
- 10 Paleoecology of the Paucituberculata and Microbiotheria (Mammalia, Marsupialia) from the late Early Miocene of Patagonia
- 11 Paleoecology of the mammalian carnivores (Metatheria, Sparassodonta) of the Santa Cruz Formation (late Early Miocene)
- 12 Paleobiology of Santacrucian glyptodonts and armadillos (Xenarthra, Cingulata)
- 13 Paleobiology of the Santacrucian sloths and anteaters (Xenarthra, Pilosa)
- 14 Paleobiology of Santacrucian native ungulates (Meridiungulata: Astrapotheria, Litopterna and Notoungulata)
- 15 Paleobiology of Santacrucian caviomorph rodents: a morphofunctional approach
- 16 Paleobiology of Santacrucian primates
- 17 A review of the paleoenvironment and paleoecology of the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation
- Index
Summary
This chapter presents the state of knowledge of the avian diversity recorded in Santacrucian beds (late Early Miocene) with an updated systematic summary of all taxa. Phorusrhacids outnumber seriemas, rheas, and basal falconiforms in diversity and abundance. More fragmentary occurrences are reported of pelecaniforms, anseriforms, gruiforms, and ciconiiforms. Body masses of fossil forms are inferred from the dimensions of their hindlimb bones (i.e. femur, tibiotarsus) based on logarithmic equations previously modeled from living analogs. In some cases, body sizes of the extinct species are also inferred from the relative sizes of other bones of similar extant species. Inferences about diet and foraging strategies are based on the size and shape of the limb elements and structural details of the cranial elements, by analogy with extant birds. The predator niche is represented by falconids, four species of phorusrhacids and a seriemid. Phorusrhacids and seriemids probably lived in open areas because of their cursorial capabilities. However, birds such as the waterfowls, limpkins, spoonbills, and darters indicate the presence of temporarily flooded savannas or permanent water bodies in forested areas. Habitat preferences of extant seriemas, rheas, tinamous, and the falconid Herpetotheres are consistent with Chacoan-like conditions, and they are useful to infer by extrapolation similar Santacrucian paleoenvironments for their extinct analogs. Santacrucian environments were probably characterized by seasonality in temperature and rainfall and the presence of alternating areas of herbaceous vegetation with shrubby or wooded areas.
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- Information
- Early Miocene Paleobiology in PatagoniaHigh-Latitude Paleocommunities of the Santa Cruz Formation, pp. 138 - 155Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012
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