Chlorestes notata (Reich)

Nascimento, Rafael S. & Silveira, Luís Fábio, 2024, Fossil and subfossil birds of Brazil, Zoologia (e 23079) 41, pp. 1-234 : 118-121

355. Chlorestes notata (Reich)

Quaternary – MG

Chlorestes notatus sp. – Sales 2003: 214.

Sales (2003) reported a specimen among the bones and mummified carcasses from Zona II of Lapa do Rezar in Itacarambi, Minas Gerais.

Opisthocomiformes Sclater

Opisthocomidae Swainson † Hoazinavis Alvarenga, Mayr & Mourer-Chauviré

356. † Hoazinavis lacustris Alvarenga, Mayr & Mourer-Chauviré

Late Oligocene/Early Miocene – SP

Fig. 32A

Type locality: Tremembé Formation, Taubaté Basin , State of São Paulo, Brazil .

Etymology: Hoazinavis , a combination of the vernacular name hoatzin and the Latin avis, and the Latin lacustris , referring to the lake deposits of the Tremembé Formation.

Hoazinavis lacustris gen. et sp. nov. [new genus and species] – Mayr et al. 2011b: 961–966, fig. 1D, E, H, I, M, N.

Hoazinavis lacustris – Mayr 2022: 93, fig. 6.1B.

Hoazinavis lacustris – Carmo et al. 2024: 5.

Mayr et al. (2011b) described this new genus and species from material collected in 2008 by Herculano Alvarenga ( Pivetta 2011) in the Tremembé Formation. It was considered then the unmistakably oldest and smallest opisthocomiform.

The material (MHNT-VT-5332, holotype) consists of a complete right humerus, the omal end of a right coracoid, and the cranial end of a right scapula, all from the same adult individual.

In the same study, Mayr et al. reclassified Namibiavis senutae , a species from the early Miocene of Namibia ( Mourer-Chauviré 2003), from Idiornithidae to Opisthocomiformes , and through phylogenetic analysis placed it as the sister of a clade formed by Hoazinavis and Opisthocomus .

The remains of both species indicate they were weak distance flyers, just like the living Opisthocomus hoazin , which, due to the proportionally large crop, developed a modified sternal keel and pectoral musculature to accommodate it. Whether and to what degree the two fossil species were already folivorous cannot be stated, but a large crop considerably affects the morphology of the pectoral girdle bones. Due to the similarities of the known elements with those of O. hoazin, Mayr et al. believed it is likely that at least H. lacustris had already evolved a large crop and folivory at some level, whose development in the only living species suggests a very long evolutionary history of specialized feeding.

The discovery of Namibiavis in Africa shows that the current distribution of hoatzins is relictual and implies the distribution of stem Opisthocomiformes was the result of dispersion and not vicariance, given the fact that South America and Africa separated during the Cretaceous before the appearance of crown Neornithes in the fossil record. Because of this, Mayr et al. believed that, even if the Miocene hoatzins had better flight capabilities than the living ones and the existence of islands in the South Atlantic during the beginning of the Cenozoic is considered, the dispersion by the ocean (minimum distance of 1,000 km in a straight line during that time) through floating vegetation rafts is the most plausible explanation. The folivorous diet would favor these birds in these rafts, which come off the mouth of large rivers and can reach considerable sizes. Therefore, an African origin is more likely, as was the case with caviomorph rodents, platyrrhinous primates, and some South American amphibians and geckos, favored by paleocurrents and paleowinds. However, additional fossils and a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of the Opisthocomiformes are needed for the establishment of a hypothesis of dispersion direction. Additionally, Mayr (2014) reported a middle Miocene tarsometatarsus from Kenya (Maboko Formation) assigned to? Namibiavis sp. , which has an essentially modern morphology and indicates arboreal habits consistent with a folivorous diet.

The theory of a hoatzin origin in the Old World and their current relictual distribution were corroborated by the description of European fossils. Mayr and De Pietri (2014) described Protoazin parisiensis from the late Eocene of France, the oldest known representative of the group and the first found in the Northern Hemisphere. The material shows greater affinity with Opisthocomus and Hoazinavis than with Namibiavis . However, Mayr and De Pietri noted that the theory of an alternative dispersion route through the Northern Hemisphere lacks support with the absence of known fossils in North America.

From South America, the only other known fossil opisthocomiform is Hoazinoides magdalenae ( Miller 1953) , from the middle Miocene of Colombia (Villavieja Formation). It is slightly larger than O. hoazin , and, along with H. lacustris , indicate South American records outside the group’s current geographical distribution ( Mayr et al. 2011b).

Gruiformes Bonaparte

Aramidae Bonaparte Aramus Vieillot

357. Aramus guarauna (Linnaeus)

Late Holocene – RS

Aramidae – Milheira et al. 2019: 45.

Milheira et al. (2019) reported aramid remains among the material from the sites PSG-02 and PSG-07 of the Pontal da Barra cerrito complex in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. It likely represents Aramus guarauna as it is the only known recent species.

Rallidae Rafinesque

358. cf. Rallidae

Early Holocene – RS

cf. Rallidae – Rosa 2006f: 2.

cf. Rallidae – Rosa 2009: 151.

Rallidae – Dias 2012: 15.

Rallidae [?] – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 250.

Rosa (2009) reported 12 possible rallid bones (seven from square A6, two from C5, two from D6, and one from D7) from the Garivaldino (RS-TQ-58) site in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul. Remains from square A6 were detected in the site’s three occupation periods. The material is deposited in the CEPA collection.

359. Rallidae indet. 1

Quaternary – MG

G. sp. indet. (similis praecedenti [ Rallus nigricans ]) – Winge 1887: 26.

“ Rallus spec. , parecido com a especie precedente [ Rallus (A). nigricans ]” – Goeldi 1894: 559.

Rallus nigricans (?) [in part] – Lambrecht 1933: 760.

Ortygonax nigricans (?) [in part] – Brodkorb 1967: 133.

Rallus nigricans [in part] – Cuello 1988: 42.

Rallidae indet. 1 – Nascimento and Silveira 2020: 491.

Winge (1887) reported as indeterminate a humerus from Lapa do Capão Seco, similar to the largest specimens of the species he presented just before this record in his list ( Pardirallus nigricans ). It presents a very large internal condyle.

360. Rallidae indet. 2

Quaternary – MG

Crex minuta [in part] – Lund 1841d: 18.

Crex ? [in part] – Giebel 1846: 311.

“einer der dort noch lebenden Cr. minuta auffallend ähnlichen Art” [in part] – Giebel 1847: 30.

Rallus [in part] – Pictet 1853: 420.

“les Rallus ” [in part] – Liais 1872: 303.

Rallus minutus [in part] – Lund (in Winge 1887): 26.

Porzana sp. e minimis, non P. flaviventris – Winge 1887: 26–27. “[ Porzana ] spec. (especie pequenissima)” – Goeldi 1894: 559. Porzana sp. – Lambrecht 1933: 761.

“other species” – Brodkorb 1967: 134.

Porzana flaviventris – Mones 1986: 86.

Porzana flaviventer – Cuello 1988: 42.

Rallidae indet. 2 – Nascimento and Silveira 2020: 492.

Winge (1887) reported several bones from Lapa da Escrivânia V (perhaps the most abundant bird in that site), a bone from Lapa da Escrivânia III, several bones from Lapa da Lagoa do Sumidouro, some bones from an unknown locality, and material of recent age [28] in large volume (including a humerus that Lund determined as “ Rallus minutus ”). These numerous materials indicate it was apparently one of the most common birds in the region, and the fact that neither Lund nor Reinhardt found it alive may be a consequence of its secretive habits. The total material is represented by several head parts, scapula, coracoid, furcula, sternum, humerus, ulna, radius, carpometacarpus, pelvis, femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus. Winge noted that the bones do not belong to Porzana (= Laterallus ) flaviventer , which he defined as the only small species of the genus known in the region. The tarsometatarsus is slightly smaller than that of L. flaviventer , but the forearm bones are much larger, and, in their regard, Winge remarked it is necessary to consider the great individual variation observed in the tarsometatarsi and ulnae from the caves. One unusually short tarsometatarsus is similar to that of Porphyriops , but it was not possible to determine whether it is an individual variation or another species.

Mones (1986) listed the record as Porzana flaviventris and noted he followed Brodkorb (1967), who, at any rate, said these materials belong to another species.

361. Rallidae indet. 3

Quaternary – MG

G. sp. indet. (generi Porphyriopi, ut videtur, affinis vel saltem similis) – Winge 1887: 27.

Porphyrio spec. – Goeldi 1894: 559.

Rallidae indet. 3 – Nascimento and Silveira 2020: 492.

Winge (1887) reported several humeri from Lapa da Escrivânia V.They are relatively short and robust (he provid- ed the length of five of them), and the size differences could indicate two species. The longer ones have the same length and general shape as those of Porphyriops melanops but are more robust, with wider ends. They are quite different from those of Porphyrio flavirostris . There is also a tarsometatarsus very similar to that of P. melanops but smaller, and different from all the others he could compare.

362. Rallidae indet. 4

Quaternary – MG

Rallid. indet. (s. Tillaeg til Rallidae ) – Winge 1887: 13.

“mindre Rallide” – Winge 1887: 27.

Rallidae indet. 4 – Nascimento and Silveira 2020: 492.

Winge (1887) reported a tarsometatarsus of a small rallid from Lapa da Lagoa do Sumidouro, which hardly belongs to the other rallids he mentioned in his study.

363. Rallidae indet. 5

Late Holocene – RJ

Rallidae – Carvalho 1984: 56.

Rallidae – Gaspar 1996: 163.

Ralidae [sic] [in part?] – Gaspar 2003: 58.

Carvalho (1984) reported rallid remains among the material discovered in 1978 at the Corondó site (RJ-JC-64) in São Pedro da Aldeia, Rio de Janeiro.

364. Rallidae indet. 6

Quaternary – PI

Rallidae [in part] – Guérin et al. 1993a: 198.

Rallidae [in part] – Guérin et al. 1993b: 328.

cf. Gallinule [sic] – Guérin et al. 1996: 84.

cf. Gallinule [sic] – Guérin et al. 2002: 136.

Guérin et al. (1996) reported material comparable to the genus “ Gallinule ” (= Gallinula ?) from Toca da Janela da Barra do Antonião.

365. Rallidae indet. 7

Late Holocene – SC

“saracura ” – Schmitz and Verardi 1996: 143.

Schmitz and Verardi (1996) reported rallid remains from the Cabeçudas site in ItajaÍ, Santa Catarina.

366. Rallidae indet. 8

Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Dias 2003: 148.

Rallidae [in part?] – Dias 2004a: 37.

Rallidae – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 244.

Raliidae [sic] – Hadler et al. 2013: 121.

Jacobus and Rosa (2013) reported rallid remains from the Sangão (RS-S-327) rock shelter in Santo Antônio da Patrulha, Rio Grande do Sul. Previously, this record was briefly mentioned by Dias (2003, 2004a).

367. Rallidae indet. 9

Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Jacobus 2004: 99.

Rallidae – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 246.

Jacobus (2004) reported rallid remains from Dalpiaz (RS-LN-1) rock shelter in Maquiné, Rio Grande do Sul. The material is deposited in the MARSUL collection.

368. Rallidae indet. 10 (spp.?)

Holocene – GO

Rallidae sp. indet. [in part] – Rosa 2004: 233.

Ralidae sp. indet. [sic] [in part] – Rosa 2004: 240.

Rallidae indet. [in part] – Rosa 2004: 249.

Rallidae indet [?] – Paulo 2009: 142.

Rosa (2004) reported indeterminate rallids from the GO-JA-01 rock shelter in Serranópolis, Goiás. From the ParanaÍba phase (early Holocene), a bone from square 14H. From the Serranópolis phase (early–late Holocene), a bone from cut 1/2. Finally, from the JataÍ phase (late Holocene), a bone from square 18H. The material is deposited in the IAP/Unisinos collection.

369. Rallidae indet. 11

Late Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Rosa 2006b: 231.

Rosa (2006b) reported a bone from level 4 of the Chácara do Leão (RS-LC-96) site in Palmares do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. The material is deposited in the IAP/Unisinos collection.

370. Rallidae indet. 12

Late Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Silva et al. 2006: 338.

Silva et al. (2006) reported rallid remains from the RS-RG-49 site in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul. They highlighted that these birds are exceptionally represented by some dozens of individuals. The material is deposited in the IAP/Unisinos collection.

371. Rallidae indet. 13

Holocene – RS

Rallidae [?; in part] – Dias 2004a: 37.

Rallidae – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 245.

Jacobus and Rosa (2013) reported rallid remains from the Deobaldino (RS-S-395) rock shelter in Santo Antônio da Patrulha, Rio Grande do Sul.

372. Rallidae indet. 14

Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 247.

Jacobus and Rosa (2013) reported rallid remains from the Schneider (RS-C-14) rock shelter in São Sebastião do CaÍ, Rio Grande do Sul.

373. Rallidae indet. 15

Holocene – RS

Rallidae – Jacobus and Rosa 2013: 249.

Jacobus and Rosa (2013) reported rallid remains from the Pilger (RS-C-61) rock shelter in Harmonia, Rio Grande do Sul.

374. Rallidae indet. 16

Quaternary – MG

Rallidae – Seersholm et al. 2021: 2067.

Seersholm et al. (2021) reported an indeterminate rallid among the bones collected by Lund in Lapa da Escrivânia V that were analyzed through bulk bone metabarcoding. It was also detected morphologically in one of the studied samples.