Morus sp.

Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile & Geraads, Denis, 2010, The Upper Pliocene Avifauna of Ahl al Oughlam, Morocco. Systematics and Biogeography, Records of the Australian Museum 62 (1), pp. 157-184 : 164-165

Morus sp. cf. M. bassanus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 4E–F

Material. Right humerus, proximal and distal parts, probably from the same bone, AaO-733, 734; right humerus, distal part, AaO-4801; left ulna, proximal part and shaft, AaO-2640; left carpometacarpus, distal part, AaO-747; right femur, distal part, AaO-826.

The dimensions of the remains referred to Morus sp. cf. M. bassanus are included in the variation range of a series of 14 Recent individuals from the USNM collection ( Table 3). There is not much difference in the femur dimensions between Morus peninsularis and M. sp. cf. M. bassanus from Ahl al Oughlam. The main difference is in the distal width which is slightly larger in the Moroccan form. This is related to the fact that the medial condyle is more medially projecting in Morus bassanus than in Morus peninsularis .

The large forms, larger than Morus bassanus ( Morus , undescribed species 1 and 2), that were present in the Yorktown Formation (Olson & Rasmussen, 2001) are not represented at Ahl al Oughlam.

Order Ciconiiformes

Figures

Figure 4. (A) Phoebastria sp. cf. P. nigripes, left humerus, distal part, AaO-718, cranial view. Morus peninsularis, B–D: (B) left coracoid, AaO-2108, ventral view; (C) right carpometacarpus, AaO-2643, ventral view; (D) left femur, AaO-724, caudal view. Morus sp. cf. M. bassanus, E–F: (E) right humerus, distal part, AaO-4801, cranial view; (F) left ulna, proximal part and shaft, AaO-2640, craniodorsal view.Geronticus olsoni n.sp., G–K: (G) right humerus, distal part and shaft,AaO-838, cranial view; (H) left coracoid,AaO-741, holotype, dorsal view; (I) idem, ventral view; (J) left tibiotarsus, distal part, AaO-2654, cranial view; … [caption continued on facing page]