Re: Intiornis, new enantiornithine bird from Argentina

[Tim Williams <tijawi@gmail.com>]

Just a query regarding the _Intiornis_ paper.... is this the final
version?  I hope not, because something is seriously amiss with the
version given at doi : 10.1016/j.crpv.2010.09.005


The abstract concludes thus:

      "Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying
       pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to
       competitive interaction with birds is discussed. The new
       species shows adaptations for a perching mode of life.
       Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying
       pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to
       competitive interaction with birds is discussed."

Aside from the same sentence being repeated in the abstract
("Moreover..."), the hypothesis that pterosaurs decreased in taxonomic
diversity due to competitive interaction with birds is NEVER actually
discussed in the paper.  The word "pterosaur" is never even mentioned
after the abstract.  The only ecological discussion featured in the
paper concerns body size in enantiornithean birds, and how small size
(as exemplified by the sparrow-sized _Intiornis_) was not unique to
Neornithes among Cretaceous birds.


For those interested, the name _Intiornis inexpectatus_ means
"unexpected sun-bird".  The etymology is given as "Inti, sun in
Quechua language; and ornis, bird in Greek.  inexpectatus, in
reference of the casual and weird technical situation of the finding
of the holotype specimen".  There is no period (full stop) after the
latter sentence, and perhaps the circumstances of this "casual and
weird technical situation" were intended to follow, but were
inadvertently omitted from this version.


But to end on a positive note, enantiornithean birds (especially
avisaurids) do appear to have been among the best perchers in the
Cretaceous, and far better than any contemporary neornithean.



Cheers

Tim




On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 8:22 PM,  <bh480@scn.org> wrote:
> From: Ben Creisler
> bh480@scn.org
>
> In case this new paper has not been mentioned yet:
>
> Fernando Emilio Novas, Federico Lisandro Agnolín, Carlos
> Agustín Scanferla (2010)
> New enantiornithine bird (Aves, Ornithothoraces) from the
> Late Cretaceous of NW Argentina.
> Comptes Rendus Palevol (advance online publication)
> Doi : 10.1016/j.crpv.2010.09.005
>
> A new enantiornithine bird, Intiornis inexpectatus gen.
> et sp. nov, is described here. It is based on a partial
> hind limb found in beds of the Upper Cretaceous Las
> Curtiembres Formation (Campanian), North-West Argentina.
> The new taxon is referred to the family Avisauridae on
> the basis of its cranially convex third metatarsal.
> Several features suggest close relationships between
> Intiornis and the avisaurid Soroavisaurus, from the Lecho
> Formation (Maastrichtian; North-West Argentina).
> Intiornis was the size of a sparrow, thus representing
> the smallest Enantiornithes known from South America. The
> new species shows adaptations for a perching mode of
> life. Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying
> pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to
> competitive interaction with birds is discussed. The new
> species shows adaptations for a perching mode of life.
> Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying
> pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to
> competitive interaction with birds is discussed.
>
>  http://www.em-consulte.com/article/274198
>
>
>
>
>