Avian Remains from the Pleistocene of Central Java

Avian Remains from the Pleistocene of Central JavaAuthor(s): Alexander WetmoreSource: Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 14, No. 5 (Sep., 1940), pp. 447-450Published by: SEPM Society for Sedimentary GeologyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1298549 .

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JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY, VOL. 14, No. 5, e. 447, SEPTEMBER, 1940

BLASTOCERINA, NEW NAME FOR BLASTOCERAS FLOWER AND CASTER

ROUSSEAU H. FLOWER University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

D R. CURT TEICHERT has brought to my attention that Blastoceras Flower and

Caster (Bull. Am. Paleontology, vol. 22, no. 75, p. 50, 1935) proposed for a genus of Upper Devonian Nautiloidea is preoccupied by Blastoceras Fitzinger (1860, Wiss. Na-

turg. Saugeth., vol. 4, p. 176) used for a genus of Mammalia. The new generic name Blastocerina is proposed here to replace Blastoceras Flower and Caster, not Fitz- inger. The genotype therefore becomes Blas- tocerina cylindristoma (Flower and Caster).

JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY, VOL. 14, No. 5, PP. 447-450, 7 TEXT FIGS., SEPTEMBER, 1940

AVIAN REMAINS FROM THE PLEISTOCENE OF CENTRAL JAVA

ALEXANDER WETMORE Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

T HE fossil remains of early man found in the Pleistocene beds of central Java

have lent such interest to these deposits that material from them in all groups of animals has immediate attraction. In con- versation with Dr. G. H. R. von Koenigs- wald the writer first learned of some bones of birds found in these beds, and recently the specimens have been forwarded to the U. S. National Museum for examination by Dr. W. Holleman, Director of the Mining and Geological Survey, Department of the Netherlands Indies, in Bandoeng, Java.

According to information kindly supplied by Dr. Holleman these remains of birds were obtained from an excavation designated as number 1 near Watoealang, a small village situated on the Solo River about 5 kilo- meters west of Ngawi, and about 30 kilo- meters north of Madioen in central Java. The bones were found by a native assistant working under the direction of ir. W. F. F. Oppenoorth, former leader in the geological mapping of Java.

The excavation in question was made in the younger Pleistocene bone-bearing terraces near the river, these deposits being situated unconformably upon the Middle Pleistocene of the Trinil beds, whose ver-

tebrate fauna with its remains of Pithecan- thropus erectus is so widely known. The river deposits at Watoealang are considered identical with the terraces at Ngandong where the skulls of Homo soloensis were found. The birds listed in the following account may, therefore, be supposed to have been con- temporaneous with the last-mentioned type of early man.

The writer wishes to express his thanks to Dr. Holleman for the privilege of studying this material, which has given information of importance relative to the occurrence of birds during the Pleistocene. The illustra- tions in this report have been prepared by Sidney Prentice.

Family CICONIIDAE LEPTOPTILOS TITAN Wetmore, n. sp.

Figures 1-5

Characters.-Tarso-metatarsus (figs. 1-5) similar to that of living Leptoptilos dubius (Gmelin)1 but much longer and heavier; anterior surface less deeply grooved.

Description.-Type, left metatarsus, nearly complete. Mining and Geological Survey, Department of the Netherlands

1 Ardea dubia Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 624 (India).

447



448 ALEXANDER WETMORE

Indies, cat. no. 3313, from Upper Pleisto- cene of Watoealang, near the Solo River, central Java. Proximal face of head with the two glenoid facets separated by a high intercondylar tubercle (partly broken away in specimen) with sharply angular sides and roundly

posteriorly as a narrowed ridge to broaden and merge with the body of the shaft; a broad, shallow, posteriorly sloping groove across the rear of the articular surface of the head above the talon; posterior face of shaft with outer side higher than inner,

1

2 3 4 5

FIGS. 1-5.-Leptoptilos titan Wetmore, n. sp. Left metatarsus type, X3.

truncated point; the outer glenoid facet definitely larger and shallower than the inner; both facets with sharply defined margins that delimit separate open cups, both at nearly the same level; projecting plates of talon mostly broken away and missing, only the base of the groove separating the two re- maining, rising from a somewhat elongated and rather narrow base that continues

rounded above, becoming very slightly concave for its middle portion, and finally broadened and flattened below; internal face of shaft with a rather deep groove along the base of the talon; the surface below this point gently curved, becoming dis- tinctly narrowed at level of facet for hallux; external face of shaft with a projecting boss at upper posterior margin opposite base of



A VIAN REMAINS FROM CENTRAL JAVA 449

talon, with an elongated, faintly indicated depression anterior to this that slopes off gradually on to the posterior face; below this point the outer surface of the shaft definitely flattened, narrowing gradually below, to be greatly compressed above the outer trochlea; anterior surface with a marked concavity below the head, with two strongly marked tubercles, slightly separated, rising in this depression, while below the groove becomes shallower until a short distance above the lower end the surface is plane for a short distance and then broadened and rounded; a broad, shallow groove at the distal end leading into the inferior fora- men, which is relatively small and deeply impressed, located very low, on a line with the inner margin of the outer intertrochlear sulcus; facet for hallux rather long and shallow; posterior face of shaft above trochlea somewhat concave; outer trochlea compressed, rather short, with inner face con- siderably excavated, its inner anterior margin nearly straight, and a definitely raised point bounding the groove of the adjacent sulcus anteriorly; outer surface of the outer trochlea rounding smoothly to the outer margin, which had a slightly excavated impression (its free external margin partly broken away); middle trochlea partly missing, with anterior face deeply and evenly grooved; inner trochlea missing. Bone brown in color, well preserved.

Measurements.-Total length from point of intercondylar tubercle on proximal end to distal margin of middle trochlea 372 mm.; greatest transverse breadth of head 33.3 mm.; smallest transverse diameter of shaft 12.3 mm. Other pertinent measurements not available because of breakage in specimen.

Remarks.-This species is highly remark- able for its great size as indicated by the length and strength of the metatarsus. Though skeletons of modern Leptoptilos dubius and L. javanicus are available for com- parison, to get a series of comparative measurements it has been necessary to use study skins from which tarsal measurements are readily obtained.

Leptoptilos dubius (5 specimens seen), largest of the marabou storks, has the tarsus from 262 to 329 mm. in length. L. javanicus (3 specimens) ranges from 243 to 282 mm.,

and L. crumeniferus (5 specimens) from 225 to 297 mm. Tarsal measurements in the skin are made in the usual way by taking the length from the back of the articulation with the lower end of the tibio-tarsus (this point corresponding roughly with the upper

6 7

FIGS. 6, 7.-Grus grus (Linnaeus). Left humerus, X5/12, from the late

Pleistocene of Watoealang, Java.

margin of the talon in the bone) to the articulation of the middle toe. Taking this same measurement on the fossil gives a length of approximately 365 mm., or slightly less than the dimension given above for the total length of the fossil bone.

The lengths of the tarsus in the three other living storks of large size are as fol- lows: Xenorhynchus asiaticus (8 specimens) 303 to 340 mm.; Ephippiorhynchus sengalen- sis (4 specimens) 312 to 360 and Jabiru mycteria (8 specimens) 288 to 342 mm.

The tarsus in Xenorhynchus is remarkably slender, and in Ephippiorhynchus appreci- ably more so than in Leptoptilos dubius. As



450 ALEXANDER WETMORE

L. titan agrees with L. dubius there is no indication of alliance between it and the other two species just mentioned. The much greater size of Leptoptilos titan is readily evident. It must have been a bird that in life was decidedly larger than the greatest of the living adjutants.

Allocation of the fossil to the genus Lep- toptilos is made on the form of the ridge leading to the supporting base of the talon, this being narrowed and raised, and on the position of the facet for the articulation of the hallux, which is relatively elevated. In these the extinct bird agrees with Leptop- tilos dubius and L. javanicus. Some of the smaller Ciconiidae have the ridge below the talon narrowed, but in Jabiru mycteria it is broad and little elevated. The attachment of the hallux is relatively higher in Leptop- tilos than in other storks.

Family ACCIPITRIDAE Subfamily AEGYPIINAE

The distal portions of a right ulna, no. 1145, and a right radius, no. 1043, are those of a vulture of this subfamily, being from a species about the size of Pseudogyps ben- galensis. These are typical in form of birds of this group and apparently represent an extinct species. It is not considered desirable to give them a definite name at this time because of uncertainty as to their exact generic identity and thus of their relation to living forms. They are of interest as indi-

cating the presence of birds of this type in the deposits at Watoealang.

Family GRUIDAE GRUS GRUS (Linnaeus)

Figures 6, 7

Ardea grus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, p. 153 (Sweden). A left humerus, cat. no. 885, from Wat-

oealang, is complete except for the thin margin of the crista superior, and a few other projecting points (fig. 6 and 7). In size and form this specimen is identical with the living crane and I have no hesitance in identifying it as that species. In four skeletons of Grus grus lilfordi the humerus meas- ures from 219 to 222.5 mm.; while in three Grus grus grus it is slightly smaller ranging from 211 to 213 mm. The fossil with a length of 225 mm. is similar to the first mentioned. It is doubtful however that the apparent difference in the humerus between these two living races is valid, as it is not reflected in wing measurements of skins that I have seen.

There are no records of occurrence of the crane in Java, and at the present time it winters south only to the Yangtse Valley, Hainan, Swatow and northern India. Pleis- tocene conditions apparently carried it much farther south, and the occurrence in central Java is of particular interest in its possible indication of climatic conditions of the period from which it comes.

MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR SEPTEMBER 19, 1939.



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Avian Remains from the Pleistocene of Central Java