Body mass estimation and locomotion of the Miocene pelecaniform bird Macranhinga
The fossil darter Macranhinga paranensis (Aves: Pelecaniformes) from the late Miocene of Argentina is the largest of all known extinct or living Anhingidae. Its body mass is estimated at a mean value of 5.4 kg by using a scaling model derived from the logarithmic relationship between measurements of...
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2001 |
| País: | Argentina |
| Institución: | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas |
| Repositorio: | CONICET Digital (CONICET) |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/71808 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/11336/71808 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | ANHINGIDAE MACRANHINGA PALEOBIOLOGY MIOCENE https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5 https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1 |
| Sumario: | The fossil darter Macranhinga paranensis (Aves: Pelecaniformes) from the late Miocene of Argentina is the largest of all known extinct or living Anhingidae. Its body mass is estimated at a mean value of 5.4 kg by using a scaling model derived from the logarithmic relationship between measurements of the least shaft circumference of the femur/ tibiotarsus and body masses. Predictions of body mass, as well as the analysis of anatomical evidence, are used to infer that Macranhinga paranensis would have probably had a powered flapping flight and an aquatic locomotion similar to that of cormorants. The morphology of the pelvis and the hind-limb would have allowed Macranhinga paranensis to catch fishes by means of pursuit-diving rather than stalking them in an anhinga-like manner. As determined by adaptations mainly of tarsometatarsal morphology, the species had well developed perching and climbing abilities. |
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