Ciconia Brisson, 1760

Boles, Walter E., 2005, A Review of the Australian Fossil Storks of the Genus Ciconia (Aves: Ciconiidae), With the Description of a New Species, Records of the Australian Museum 57 (2), pp. 165-178 : 167-168

Genus Ciconia Brisson, 1760

Ciconia Brisson (1760) . Ornithologia sive Synopsis Methodica, 1: 48, 361— type species: Ciconia = Ardea ciconia Linnaeus, 1758 .

In the original concept of Ciconia , the genus comprised two species, C. ciconia Linnaeus, 1758 (Eurasia, Africa) and C. nigra Linnaeus, 1758 (Eurasia, Africa). The generic limits were expanded by Kahl (1979) and Wood (1983, 1984) to incorporate three species that were long kept in monotypic genera: (Sphenorhynchus) abdimii Lichtenstein, 1823 (Africa) , (Dissoura) episcopus Boddaert, 1783 (Africa, southern Asia), and (Euxenura) maguari Gmelin, 1789 (South America). This has considerably expanded the size range of the species in both directions and added variability in the morphology.

The represented elements can be diagnosed as Ciconia and separated from those of other genera of storks by the following suites of characters:

Cranium. Most of the characters on which a generic diagnosis might be based are missing in the fossil. It does permit separation from Ephippiorhynchus by having the fossae temporalis moderately shallow and moderately concealed by the cristae temporalis, rather than deep and unconcealed (in dorsal view); the nuchal area (supraoccipital) is slightly convex around the prominentia cerebellum, rather than somewhat concave; and the crista nuchalis transversus is low and does not project posteriorly beyond the extent of the prominentia cerebellum. In these characters, the fossil agrees with Ciconia .

Quadrate. The processus oticus is thin (in lateral view). The processus orbitus is thin. The sulcus between the processus mandibularis and condylus pterygoideus is moderately deep. The processus mandibularis is markedly longer mediolaterally than anteroposteriorly, the condyli form an acute angle and the sulcus intercondylaris is relatively narrow.

Humerus. The tuberculum ventrale is situated distal to the caput humeri. The fossa pneumotricipitalis does not extend proximally well beyond the attachment for M. scapulohumeralis caudalis nor as far distally past the midpoint of the crista bicipitalis. The intumescentia humeri is moderately inflated distally. There is a slight notch where the distal end of the crista bicipitalis joins the shaft, but the sulcus nervus coracobrachialis is obsolete. The impressio m. coracobrachialis is flat, not depressed. The dorsal edge of the crista deltopectoralis is generally straight, not concave. The attachment for M. scapulohumeralis cranialis is situated at the proximal end of the linea m. latissimus dorsi rather than ventral to it and directly distal to the fossa pneumotricipitalis. In dorsal view, the dorsal side of the shaft posterior to the condylus dorsalis is shallow, with the anterior and posterior sides straight and roughly parallel, forming a rectangular surface; the anterior face of the shaft meets anteroproximal corner of the processus supracondylaris dorsalis gradually; and the tuberculum supracondylare dorsale is not strongly developed. The epicondylus ventralis is moderately produced (in anterior view). The scar for M. pronator profundus is moderately short and shallow and that for M. flexor carpi ulnaris is moderately small; thus the area of the ventral side distal to the epicondylus ventralis is not markedly excavated (in ventral view) and the epicondylus ventralis is less undercut (in anterior view). The sulcus humerotricipitalis is moderate in width. The condylus ventralis humeri extends further distally relative to the condylus dorsalis humeri (in anterior view); in distal view, its posterior surface faces more posteriorly and less distally. The ventrodistal corner, distal to the epicondylus ventralis, is only slightly to moderately excavated.

Ulna. The condition of the ulnar fragment considered in this study is not suitable for useful comparisons between taxa. This element is not diagnosed further.

Tibiotarsus (taken in part from Howard, 1942 and Olson, 1991). There are limited characters of the proximal end that are useful in separating the genera of storks, and most of these are related to the angles and extent of the cristae and articular surfaces. On the distal end, the tuberculum retinaculi m. fibularis proximal to the condylus lateralis forms a prominent triangular ridge, which is pointed proximally and broadens distally (prominent papilla in Ephippiorhynchus ); the proximomedial corner of the condylus lateralis is not incised by expansion of the area intercondylaris; the proximomedial border of the condylus medialis lacks a prominent round fossa; the posterior sides of the condyli extend prominently and are more oval than circular (in lateral view); the distal border of pons supratendineus is horizontal (tilted or arched in Ephippiorhynchus ); the distal opening of the canalis extensorius is moderately to strongly horizontally elongate (rounded in Ephippiorhynchus ); and the incisura intercondylaris is broad and relatively flat at its base (in distal view).

Tarsometatarsus (taken in part from Howard, 1942). The hypotarsus is slender relative to the proximal width of the cotylae and to the length of crista hypotarsi lateralis, the longer of the cristae; the cristae hypotarsi are slender. The eminentia intercotylaris is situated on the proximodistal midline rather than medial to it, and the lateral side of its base is only slightly excavated, if at all. The area between the cotylae and the hypotarsus consists of a gradual drop with a pit of moderate depth proximal to the cristae hypotarsi. The ridge leading to the distal end of the hypotarsus is generally low and broad. The cotyla lateralis is elongate; the cotyla medialis much more circular (in proximal view). The trochlea metatarsi II is situated dorsally and is little rotated laterodorsally-medioplantarly. The fossa metatarsi I is flush with the surface of the bone or only slightly elevated.