1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064
1065
1066
1067
1068
1069
1070
1071
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076
1077
1078
1079
1080
1081
1082
1083
1084
1085
1086
1087
1088
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093
1094
1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106
1107
1108
1109
1110
1111
1112
1113
1114
1115
1116
1117
1118
1119
1120
1121
1122
1123
1124
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
1147
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197
1198
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240
1241
1242
1243
1244
1245
1246
1247
1248
1249
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
1255
1256
1257
1258
1259
1260
1261
1262
1263
1264
1265
1266
1267
1268
1269
1270
1271
1272
1273
1274
1275
1276
1277
1278
1279
1280
1281
1282
1283
1284
1285
1286
1287
1288
1289
1290
1291
1292
1293
1294
1295
1296
1297
1298
1299
1300
1301
1302
1303
1304
1305
1306
1307
1308
1309
1310
1311
1312
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343
1344
1345
1346
1347
1348
1349
1350
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374
1375
1376
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382
1383
1384
1385
1386
1387
1388
1389
1390
1391
1392
1393
1394
1395
1396
1397
1398
1399
1400
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429
1430
1431
1432
1433
1434
1435
1436
1437
1438
1439
1440
1441
1442
1443
1444
1445
1446
1447
1448
1449
1450
1451
1452
1453
1454
1455
1456
1457
1458
1459
1460
1461
1462
1463
1464
1465
1466
1467
1468
1469
1470
1471
1472
1473
1474
1475
1476
1477
1478
1479
1480
1481
1482
1483
1484
1485
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493
1494
1495
1496
1497
1498
1499
1500
1501
1502
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512
1513
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525
1526
1527
1528
1529
1530
1531
1532
1533
1534
1535
1536
1537
1538
1539
1540
1541
1542
1543
1544
1545
1546
1547
1548
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554
1555
1556
1557
1558
1559
1560
1561
1562
1563
1564
1565
1566
1567
1568
1569
1570
1571
1572
1573
1574
1575
1576
1577
1578
1579
1580
1581
1582
1583
1584
1585
1586
1587
1588
1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1596
1597
1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613
1614
1615
1616
1617
1618
1619
1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701
1702
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
1742
1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
|
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69109 ***
Transcriber Note: Text emphasis denoted as _Italics_ and =Bold=.
The Cretaceous Birds
of New Jersey
STORRS L. OLSON
and
DAVID C. PARRIS
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY • NUMBER 63
SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was
expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan
for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the
following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports,
giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes
made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of
basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of
titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint,
commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and
continuing with the following active series:
_Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Botany_
_Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences_
_Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology_
_Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology_
_Smithsonian Folklife Studies_
_Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space_
_Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology_
In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale
monographs that report the research and collections of its various
museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world of
science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing
lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout
the world.
Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by
the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format
and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums
or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review. Press
requirements for manuscript and art preparation are outlined on the
inside back cover.
Robert McC. Adams
Secretary
Smithsonian Institution
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY · NUMBER 63
The Cretaceous Birds of New Jersey
Storrs L. Olson and David C. Parris
[Illustration]
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1987
ABSTRACT
Olson, Storrs L., and David C. Parris. The Cretaceous Birds of New
Jersey. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, number 63, 22
pages, 11 figures, 1987.--This is a revision of the fossil birds from
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian; Hornerstown and Navesink formations)
deposits in New Jersey. Material of previously named taxa, described
over a century ago, is augmented by more recently collected specimens
from a new locality at the Inversand Company marl pits near Sewell,
Gloucester County. With about 8 genera and 9 species, this is the most
diverse Cretaceous avifauna yet known. Most species belong to a group
of primitive Charadriiformes resembling in limb morphology the fossil
family Presbyornithidae and the living family Burhinidae. These are
tentatively referred to the “form family” Graculavidae Fürbringer,
1888, with its provisional synonyms Palaeotringinae Wetmore, 1940;
Telmatornithidae Cracraft, 1972, and Laornithidae Cracraft, 1972. The
species included are: _Graculavus velox_ Marsh, 1872; _Telmatornis
priscus_ Marsh, 1870 (synonyms: _Telmatornis affinis_ Marsh, 1870;
_Graculavus pumilis_ Marsh, 1872; _Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870);
_Anatalavis rex_ (Shufeldt, 1915); _Laornis edvardsianus_ Marsh, 1870;
_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870; _P. vagans_ Marsh, 1872; and
an undescribed genus and species probably different from any of the
preceding. _Anatalavis_ is proposed as a new genus for Telmatornis rex
Shufeldt, 1915. A new family, genus, and species (Tytthostonychidae,
_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_) is proposed for a humerus showing
similarities to the Pelecaniformes and Procellariiformes and
tentatively referred to the latter, along with an ulna of a much
smaller species. The species in this fauna appear to be part of the
modern radiation of neognathous birds, but none can be referred to
modern families.
Official publication date is handstamped in a limited number of initial
copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, _Smithsonian
Year_. Series cover design: The trilobite _Phacops rana_ Green. /X
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Olson, Storrs
L. The cretaceous birds of New Jersey. (Smithsonian contributions
to paleobiology; no. 63) Bibliography: p. 1 Birds Fossil. 2.
Paleontology--Cretaceous. 3. Paleontology--New Jersey. I. Parris, David
C. II. Title. III. Series. QE701.S56 no. 63 560 s 86-29837 [QE871]
[568’.09749] X/
Contents
Page
Introduction 1
Acknowledgments 1
The Fossil Localities and Their Stratigraphy 1
Order Charadriiformes 4
“Form Family” Graculavidae Fürbringer, 1888 4
Genus _Graculavus_ Marsh, 1872 4
_Graculavus velox_ Marsh, 1872 4
_Graculavus velox?_ 6
Genus _Telmatornis_ Marsh, 1870 6
_Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870 6
Genus _Anatalavis_, new genus 11
_Anatalavis rex_ (Shufeldt, 1915), new combination 11
Genus _Laornis_ Marsh, 1870 12
_Laornis edvardsianus_ Marsh, 1870 12
Genus _Palaeotringa_ Marsh, 1870 12
_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870 12
_Palaeotringa littoralis?_ 14
_Palaeotringa vagans_ Marsh, 1872 14
Graculavidae, Genus and Species Indeterminate 14
Order Procellariiformes? 14
Family Tytthostonychidae, new family 16
Genus _Tytthostonyx_, new genus 16
_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_, new species 16
Family and Genus Indeterminate 16
Aves, incertae sedis 19
Discussion 19
Appendix 20
Literature Cited 21
The Cretaceous Birds of New Jersey
_Storrs L. Olson and David C. Parris_[1]
[Footnote 1: _Storrs L. Olson, Department of Vertebrate Zoology,
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C. 20560. David C. Parris, New Jersey State Museum, 205
West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0530._]
Introduction
Fossils of Cretaceous birds are scarce and usually difficult
to interpret. The better known forms such as _Hesperornis_ and
_Ichthyornis_ belong to strange and archaic groups having little or
nothing to do with the modern avian radiation. The only areas that have
yielded Cretaceous birds of essentially modern aspect in sufficient
quantities to be regarded as avifaunal assemblages are the inland
deposits of the Lance Formation and strata of similar age in Wyoming
(Brodkorb, 1963a) and the marine deposits of New Jersey. Of these, the
assemblage from New Jersey is the more diverse.
Fossil birds were described from the Cretaceous greensands of southern
New Jersey over a century ago by Marsh (1870, 1872). These have been
carried, largely uncritically, in lists and compilations ever since
(e.g. Hay, 1902; Lambrecht, 1933; Rapp, 1943; Miller, 1955; Brodkorb,
1963b, 1967). Although some of these specimens were subsequently
re-examined and their status altered (Shufeldt, 1915; Cracraft, 1972,
1973), there has been no modern comprehensive revision of all of the
avian taxa that have been named from the Cretaceous of New Jersey. In
recent years, additional fossil birds have been recovered from these
deposits that add further to our knowledge of late Mesozoic avifaunas,
making a review of this material all the more desirable.
In spite of the relative diversity of the New Jersey Cretaceous
avifauna, the total number of specimens is still small. The decline
of the glauconite greensand industry and the difficulty of recovering
small fossils have contributed to this paucity of specimens. The
glauconite industry is now confined to a single operation, the
Inversand Company in Sewell, Mantua Township, Gloucester County, New
Jersey. Fortunately, the late owner of the company, Mr. Churchill
Hungerford, Jr., generously allowed fossils to be recovered on his
property by the New Jersey State Museum, which houses most of the newly
discovered specimens, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
being the repository of the rest. Another specimen came from a locality
in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey and was donated
to the New Jersey State Museum by Gerard R. Case.
Acknowledgments.--We gratefully acknowledge the late Churchill
Hungerford, Jr., for permitting fossil material to be recovered from
his property by the New Jersey State Museum (NJSM). We are much
indebted to John H. Ostrom, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale
University (YPM), and Gay Vostreys and Charles Smart of the Academy
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) for their patience in
lending types and other material from their collections for a very
extended period. Pat V. Rich, Monash University, assisted Parris in
the early stages of this study. Comparative material of _Presbyornis_
was obtained from the collection of the University of California
Museum of Paleontology (UCMP), the University of Wyoming (UW), and the
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM).
The photographs are by Victor E. Krantz, Smithsonian Institution. For
valuable comments on the manuscript we are grateful to Donald Baird,
Princeton University, and Jonathan Becker, Smithsonian Institution.
=The Fossil Localities and Their Stratigraphy=
The extensive deposits of Cretaceous age in eastern North America
have been widely studied for over 150 years. These generally poorly
consolidated sediments have provided valuable resources, notably
glauconite, fire clay, and chalk. As the publications by Morton (1829),
Vanuxem (1829), Conrad (1869), and other early authors showed, the
sediments are also quite fossiliferous.
In the eastern United States, significant Cretaceous deposits occur
from New Jersey to Texas (Figure 1), with extensive outcrop and
subsurface records in both Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. The
surface distribution and correlations were first summarized by
Stephenson et al. (1942). Subsequent works by various authorities
have refined, but not substantially altered his views of outcrop
stratigraphy. Petroleum exploration has encouraged more recent restudy
of the subsurface stratigraphy, notably along the east coast (Minard et
al., 1974; Perry et al., 1975; Petters, 1976).
[Illustration: Figure 1.--Distribution of Cretaceous rocks in the
eastern United States. Arrow indicates New Jersey. (Modified after
Moore, 1958, fig. 15.2).]
In New Jersey, the latest Cretaceous deposits are remarkably rich
in glauconite, especially the Navesink and Hornerstown formations.
Besides providing a local industry in agricultural fertilizers, the
glauconite greensands, locally called “marl,” yielded many specimens to
the fiercely competitive vertebrate paleontologists of the nineteenth
century. Preservation of vertebrate fossils in a glauconite deposit may
be excellent, apparently due to autochthonous formation of the mineral
and the probable quiescence of the depositional environment. The
Hornerstown Formation, for example, contains few grains of terrigenous
origin and little evidence of disturbance by water currents.
Such depositional environments were apparently favorable for the
preservation of small and delicate bones. The accumulation of sediment
occurred during a period of marine transgression with the shoreline not
far to the northwest but at sufficient distance to prevent deposition
of terrigenous material.
During their great rivalry, E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh sought greensand
fossils vigorously. Marsh, however, obtained all of the Cretaceous
birds (Marsh, 1870, 1872), largely due to efforts of marl pit owner
J.G. Meirs. Although in the years subsequent to Marsh's original
descriptions of the New Jersey birds from the Navesink and Hornerstown
formations there was some confusion regarding their probable age
(Wetmore, 1930), this was later definitely established as Cretaceous
by Baird (1967), who attributed the specimens to the Navesink and
Hornerstown formations.
The summary of Petters (1976) represents current ideas of the
Cretaceous stratigraphy of New Jersey. Baird's (1967) discussion is
consistent with Petters's view that the Hornerstown Formation is
regarded as partly Cretaceous and partly Tertiary. Some authors have
used the term New Egypt Formation instead of Navesink in more southerly
outcrops.
Cretaceous birds have been recovered from three geographically
distinct localities in New Jersey (Figure 2). With the exception of
_Laornis_, all of the specimens described by Marsh (1870, 1872) came
from Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, in the area including
the settlements of Hornerstown, Arneytown, and Cream Ridge. The Meirs
family operated a number of pits in this area and it is no longer
possible to ascertain the exact provenance of specimens labelled only
as being from Hornerstown. These could have come either from the
basal Hornerstown Formation or the underlying Navesink Formation,
both of which are Maastrichtian in age. Baird (1967:261) ascertained
that the holotype of _Palaeotringa vetus_, from “friable green marl
near Arneytown” was from the lower (i.e., Cretaceous) part of the
Hornerstown Formation. The holotypes of _Telmatornis priscus_ and _T.
affinis_, from the Cream Ridge Marl Company pits, on the other hand,
are from the Navesink Formation. A more recently collected specimen
from this area is the proximal end of an ulna (NJSM 11900) collected
by Gerard R. Case from “marl piles near junction of Rtes. 537 and
539 in Upper Freehold Twp., Monmouth County, near Hornerstown.” This
definitely came from the Hornerstown Formation but it cannot be said
whether from the Cretaceous or Paleocene sediments included therein.
[Illustration: Figure 2.--Localities in southern New Jersey of the
main fossiliferous deposits that have yielded Cretaceous birds. (The
bold line demarcates the inner and outer coastal plain physiographic
provinces; B = Birmingham; H = Hornerstown; S = Sewell.)]
The second general locality is near Birmingham, Burlington County,
where the type of _Laornis edvardsianus_ was obtained from “greensand
of the upper, Cretaceous marl bed ... in the pits of the Pemberton Marl
Company” (Marsh, 1870:208). There is nothing to be added to Baird's
(1967) conclusion that this specimen is latest Cretaceous in age.
The third locality, and that yielding most of the recently obtained
specimens, is the Inversand Company marl pit, located near Sewell,
Gloucester County. In accordance with the wishes of the Inversand
Company, the precise locality of this pit will not be disclosed,
although this information is preserved in records sufficient in number
and distribution to assure that it will not be lost. The Inversand
specimens came from the main fossiliferous layer within the basal
portion of the Hornerstown Formation (Figure 3). This layer is of late
Maastrichtian age (latest Cretaceous), on the basis of invertebrate
fossils, including three genera of ammonites, and a substantial
vertebrate fauna, including mosasaurs (see Appendix). It is probable
that the upper part of the Hornerstown Formation within the pit is of
Paleocene age, as it is known to be elsewhere, but most paleontologists
believe the basal portion to be Cretaceous in age (Gaffney, 1975; Koch
and Olsson, 1977). One avian specimen is from an unknown level in the
pit.
[Illustration: Figure 3.--Stratigraphic diagram of the Inversand
Company marl pit at Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey.]
=Order Charadriiformes=
=“Form Family” Graculavidae Fürbringer, 1888=
Type Genus.--Graculavus Marsh, 1872.
Included Genera.--_Graculavus_ Marsh, 1872; _Telmatornis_ Marsh, 1870;
_Anatalavis_, new genus; _Laornis_ Marsh, 1870; _Palaeotringa_ Marsh,
1870; and an additional unnamed genus.
Remarks.--Most of the birds from the New Jersey deposits belong with
what Olson (1985) has termed the “transitional Charadriiformes,” a
group that seemingly tends to connect the Gruiformes and the more
typical Charadriiformes. The only living family in this group that
has traditionally been considered charadriiform is the Burhinidae,
the thick-knees or stone curlews. Other apparent descendants include
ibises (Plataleidae) and the ducks and geese of the order Anseriformes.
The latter are linked with the “transitional Charadriiformes” through
the Paleocene and Eocene genus _Presbyornis_, which is known from
abundant material from widely scattered areas of the world (Olson and
Feduccia, 1980b; Olson, 1985). _Presbyornis_ combines a long-legged
shorebird-like body with the head of a duck. The fragmentary Cretaceous
fossils from New Jersey, all of which are postcranial, usually show
more similarity to _Presbyornis_ than to any modern group of birds
except the Burhinidae. Therefore, our comparisons have been made
chiefly with these two groups.
With the fragmentary material at hand it is difficult, well nigh
impossible, to make hard and fast taxonomic judgments concerning the
number of species, genera, or families represented. Birds with very
similar wing or leg elements could have had completely different
feeding adaptations and could represent ancestral forms leading to
different modern groups not considered to be closely related. For
example, without the skull, _Presbyornis_ could not be determined as
having anything to do with the Anseriformes (Olson and Feduccia, 1980b:
12-13).
Late Cretaceous fossil birds of modern aspect have been described in
a variety of genera, most of which have been used as the basis for
family-group names. Taxa from New Jersey that appear to belong with
the “transitional Charadriiformes” for which family-group names are
available include: Graculavinae Fürbringer, 1888; Palaeotringinae
Wetmore, 1940; Telmatornithidae Cracraft, 1972; and Laornithidae
Cracraft, 1973.
Taxa from Upper Cretaceous deposits in western North America that
appear to fall in the same category (Olson and Feduccia, 1980a)
include: Apatornithidae Fürbringer, 1888; Cimolopterygidae Brodkorb,
1963a; Torotigidae Brodkorb, 1963a; and Lonchodytidae Brodkorb, 1963a.
Tertiary taxa that may possibly be related to the “transitional
Charadriiformes” and that have been used as the basis of family-group
names are: Presbyornithidae Wetmore, 1926 (Nautilornithinae Wetmore,
1926, and Telmabatidae Howard, 1955, are definitely synonyms);
Scaniornithidae Lambrecht, 1933; and Dakotornithidae Erickson, 1975.
Doubtless there are others that we have overlooked. How many families
are actually represented here and what their interrelationships may
be is purely a matter of conjecture in the absence of better fossil
material. Because the entire skeleton of _Presbyornis_ is known, the
familial name Presbyornithidae may justifiably be retained and used for
that genus.
In the case of the Cretaceous birds under consideration here, we
have decided for the time being to adopt a version of paleobotanical
convention in recognizing a “form family” Graculavidae, which implies a
general similarity in morphology of the constituent taxa, although the
material available is simply not sufficient for determining phylogeny
or key adaptations.
=Genus Graculavus Marsh, 1872=
_Limosavis_ Shufeldt, 1915:19.
Type-Species.--_Graculavus velox_ Marsh 1872, by subsequent designation
(Hay, 1902).
Included Species.--Type species only.
Remarks.--_Limosavis_ Shufeldt, 1915, substitute name for _Graculavus_,
considered inappropriate; not used in direct combination with any
specific name when originally proposed.
=_Graculavus velox_ Marsh, 1872=
Figure 4 _b,d,f,h_
_Graculavus velox_ Marsh, 1872:363.
_Limosavis velox_ (Marsh).--Lambrecht, 1933:546.
Holotype.--Proximal end of left humerus, YPM 855.
Locality and Horizon.--From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township,
Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by J.G. Meirs; Late Cretaceous
(Maastrichtian), either basal Hornerstown Formation or Navesink
Formation.
Measurements (in mm).--Proximal end of humerus, YPM 855: proximal width
through dorsal and ventral tubercles 21.1, depth through bicipital
surface and tuberculum ventrale 11.6, depth of head 5.7.
[Illustration: Figure 4.--Proximal ends of left humeri of _Graculavus
velox_ and related birds: _a_, _Esacus magnirostris_ (Burhinidae), USNM
19649; _b,d,f,h_, _Graculavus velox_, holotype, YPM 855; _c,e,g, i_,
_Presbyornis_ sp., UCMP 126205. _a-c_, anconal view; _d,e_, anconal
view with distal portion tilted upwards; _f,g_, palmar view; _h,i_,
proximal view. All figures × 2; specimens coated with ammonium chloride
to enhance detail.]
Comparisons.--Marsh (1872) originally described this as a species of
cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae, Pelecaniformes) and included the species
_G. pumilis_ Marsh, 1872, also from New Jersey, and _G. anceps_ Marsh,
1872, from the Late Cretaceous of Kansas, in the same genus. Marsh
(1880) later referred _G. anceps_ to the genus _Ichthyornis_, where it
has remained. Shufeldt (1915:17-19) went into considerable detail to
show that the species of _Graculavus_, particularly _G. velox_, were
not cormorants, instead being limicoline shorebirds with similarities
to the Burhinidae, Haematopodidae, and Charadriidae. Accordingly,
Lambrecht (1933:540, 546) placed these taxa among the charadriiform
birds, but rather inexplicably listed velox under Shufeldt's substitute
name _Limosavis_ in the suborder Laro-Limicolae, while retaining
_pumilis_ in the genus _Graculavus_ in the suborder Limicolae.
Brodkorb (1963b:249) ignored Shufeldt's assessment of relationships
and placed _G. velox_ and _G. pumilis_ in the Phalacrocoracidae,
subfamily Graculavinae. Cracraft (1972) did not examine the specimens
attributed to _Graculavus_ in his consideration of the relationships of
_Telmatornis_.
We have synonymized _Graculavus pumilis_ Marsh, 1872, with
_Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870, and discuss below the characters
by which _Graculavus_ (restricted to _G. velox_) may be separated
from _Telmatornis_. Shufeldt (1915) has already presented adequate
evidence that _Graculavus_ is not a cormorant and is instead a
charadriiform. The following combination of characters of the proximal
end of the humerus is shared by _Graculavus_ and _Presbyornis_ and
distinguishes these genera from other Charadriiformes: (1) lack of
a distinct lanceolate scar for M. coracobrachialis cranialis; (2)
lack of a distinctly excavated second (dorsal) tricipital fossa; (3)
presence of a distinct tumescence in the proximoventral portion of the
tricipital fossa; scars for (4) M. scapulohumeralis caudalis and (5)
M. scapulohumeralis cranialis very large and distinct; (6) attachment
of M. latissimus dorsi cranialis a well-defined, raised protuberance
situated dorsal to the median ridge of the shaft; (7) tuberculum
dorsale well defined, distinctly pointed. In most of the preceding
characters that it preserves, the single proximal end of humerus
referred to _Telmatornis_ (the holotype of _G. pumilis_) agrees with
_Graculavus_ and _Presbyornis_.
Among living families, the Burhinidae are the most similar to
_Graculavus_; both agree in characters 1, 2, 4, and 7, with certain
species of _Burhinus_ also having characters 3 and 6 present but less
developed. _Graculavus_ differs from Burhinus mainly in having (8) the
head not as deep and bulbous; (9) distance from head to tuberculum
dorsale greater; (10) tuberculum dorsale smaller, much less projecting;
(11) tuberculum ventrale in ventral view more elongate; and (12) scar
on tuberculum ventrale for M. coracobrachialis caudalis much larger and
more distinct.
_Graculavus_ is very similar to _Presbyornis_, agreeing with that
genus in characters 8 and 10 but differing in characters 11 and 12
and in (13) having the head more deeply undercut. _Presbyornis_ is
intermediate between _Graculavus_ and the _Burhinidae_ in character 9.
_Graculavus velox_ was a fairly large bird, being approximately the
size of _Presbyornis_ cf. _pervetus_ and somewhat larger than the large
living burhinid _Esacus magnirostris_.
=Graculavus velox?=
Figure 9_d_
Referred Material.--Abraded right carpometacarpus consisting mainly of
the major metacarpal, NJSM 11854.
Locality and Horizon.--Collected from the main fossiliferous layer of
the Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey;
Hornerstown Formation, latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian); collected 25
February 1976 by David C. Parris.
Measurements (in mm).--Length 51.0.
Comparisons.--Nothing can be said about this very poor specimen except
that it came from a bird with a carpometacarpus slightly larger than
that of a modern specimen of the burhinid _Esacus magnirostris_.
Because _Graculavus velox_ is the only bird yet known in the New Jersey
fossil fauna that was of this same size, the present specimen may
possibly be referable to that species.
=Genus _Telmatornis_ Marsh, 1870=
Type-Species.--_Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870, by subsequent
designation (Hay, 1902:528).
Included Species.--Type species only.
=_Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870=
Figures 5_b-j_, 6_c,e,g_, 7_a,d,g,j,n_
_Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870:210.
_Telmatornis affinis_ Marsh, 1870:211.
_Graculavus pumilis_ Marsh, 1872:364.
_?Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870:209.
Holotype.--Distal end of left humerus (Figure 5_e,h_), YPM 840;
collected in pits of the Cream Ridge Marl Company, near Hornerstown,
New Jersey by J.G. Meirs. Navesink Formation, Maastrichtian, Late
Cretaceous (Baird, 1967).
Referred Specimens.--Distal end of right humerus (Figure 5_f,g_),
YPM 845 (holotype of _Telmatornis affinis_ Marsh 1870); same data as
holotype of _T. priscus_.
Proximal end of right humerus (Figure 5_b-d_), YPM 850, with distal
end of right carpometacarpus (Figure 5_i_) and several fragments of
shafts of long bones apparently associated (holotypical material of
_Graculavus pumilis_ Marsh, 1872); collected near Hornerstown, New
Jersey, by J.G. Meirs; probably from the basal Hornerstown Formation,
Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous.
Distal end of left tibiotarsus (Figure 7_n_), ANSP 13361 (holotype
of _Palaeotringa vetus_), collected near Arneytown, on the
Monmouth-Burlington county boundary, New Jersey; Basal Hornerstown
Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous (Baird, 1967).
Left humerus lacking proximal end (Figure 6_c,e,g_), ANSP 15360;
collected in 1971 from the Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell,
Gloucester County, New Jersey, by Keith Madden. Basal Hornerstown
Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous.
Distal end of left tarsometatarsus (Figure 7_d,g,j_), NJSM 11853;
collected 27 March 1975 by David C. Parris from the main fossiliferous
layer of the Inversand Company marl pit.
[Illustration: Figure 5.--Wing elements of _Burhinus_ and
_Telmatornis_. _a_, _Burhinus vermiculatus_ (USNM 488870), proximal end
of right humerus, anconal view, _b-d_, Telmatornis priscus (holotype
of _Graculavus pumilis_, YPM 850), proximal end of right humerus
(_b_, anconal view; _c_, palmar view; _d_, proximal view), _e,h_, _T.
priscus_ (holotype, YPM 840), distal end of left humerus (_e_, anconal
view; _h_, palmar view), _f,g_, _T. priscus_ (holotype of _Telmatornis
affinis_, YPM 845), distal end of right humerus (_f_, aconal view; _g_,
palmar view), _i_, _T. priscus_ (associated with YPM 850), distal end
of left carpometacarpus, dorsal view; _j_, _T. priscus_ (NJSM 11900),
proximal end of right ulna. (All figures x 2; specimens coated with
ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
[Illustration: Figure 6.--Humeri of _Anatalavis_, new genus, and
_Telmatornis_. _a_, _Anatalavis rex_ (holotype, YPM 902), right
humerus, palmar view; × 1.5. _b,d,f_, _A. rex_, (YPM 948), left
humerus (_b_, palmar view, × 1.5; _d_, enlarged, anconal view, × 2;
_f_, enlarged, palmar view, × 2). _c,e,g_, _Telmatornis priscus_,
(ANSP 15360), left humerus (_c_, palmar view, × 1.5; _e_, enlarged,
anconal view, × 2; _g_, enlarged, palmar view, × 2); _h_, _Burhinus
vermiculatus_ (USNM 430630), left humerus, palmar view, × 2. (Specimens
coated with ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
[Illustration: Figure 7.--Hindlimb elements. _a,b_, Right pedal
phalanx 1 of digit II (_a_, _Telmatornis priscus_, ANSP 15541; _b_,
_Presbyornis_ sp., USNM uncatalogued; part of associated foot), _c-k_,
Distal end of left tarsometatarsus, anterior, posterior, and distal
views, respectively (_c,f,i_, _Presbyornis_ sp., UCMP 126178; _d,g,j_,
_T. priscus_, NJSM 11853; _e,h,k_, _Burhinus vermiculalus_, USNM
488870). _l-n_, Distal portions of left tibiotarsi (_l_, _Palaeotringa
littoralis_, holotype, YPM 830; _m_, _P. vagans_, holotype, YPM 835;
_n_, _T. priscus_, holotype of _P. vetus_, ANSP 13361). (All figures ×
2; specimens coated with ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
Right pedal phalanx 1 of digit II (Figure 7_a_), ANSP 15541; collected
in 1972 by Richard White at the Inversand Company marl pit.
Proximal end of right ulna (Figure 5_j_), NJSM 11900; collected 14
July 1978 from spoil piles near junction of Routes 537 and 539, near
Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, by
Gerard R. Case; presumably from the Hornerstown Formation but whether
from Cretaceous or Tertiary sediments is not known.
Miller (1955) lists an additional specimen from near Arneytown under
the name _Palaeotringa vetus_ (YPM 2808). This was cataloged in 1937
as “part of a tibia” of “Eocene” age but the specimen cannot now be
located in the Yale collections and its age and identity must be
considered very doubtful.
Measurements (in mm).--Distal ends of humeri (YPM 840, YPM 845, ANSP
15360, respectively): distal width 10.9, 10.1, 11.3; depth through
dorsal condyle 5.7, 5.2, 5.5; width of shaft at proximal extent of
brachial fossa 6.3, 5.5,6.4; length from distal end of pectoral crest
to ventral condyle (ANSP 15360 only) 45.1; shaft width at midpoint
(ANSP 15360 only) 4.7.
Proximal end of humerus YPM 850: proximal width through dorsal and
ventral tubercles 13.1; depth through bicipital surface and ventral
condyle 7.5, depth of head approximately 3.5.
Proximal end of ulna NJSM 11900: depth through dorsal cotyla 7.0.
Distal end of carpometacarpus YPM 840: depth at distal end 5.3; shaft
width 2.9.
Distal end of tibiotarsus ANSP 13361: shaft width 3.5, approximate
depth through medial condyle 6.9.
Distal end of tarsometatarsus NJSM 11853: distal width 6.1+; shaft
width 2.7.
Pedal phalanx 1 of digit II: length 14.6; proximal width 3.0.
Comparisons.--This is evidently the most abundant bird in the
New Jersey Cretaceous deposits. Hitherto it had been known only
from the two distal ends of humeri that are the holotypes of
_Telmatornis priscus_ and _T. affinis_. Marsh (1870) did not clearly
place _Telmatornis_ with any living family but mentioned species
of Rallidae, Scolopacidae, and Ardeidae in his comparisons. Hay
(1902:528) listed the genus under the Rallidae. Shufeldt (1915:26)
considered that _Telmatornis_ was not a heron but might be related
either to rail-like or charadriiform birds, the material, according
to him, being insufficient for positive determination. He (1915:27)
also described a larger species, _Telmatornis rex_, which we have
removed to a new genus. Lambrecht (1933:489) maintained _Telmatornis_
as a genus incertae sedis in his order Ralliformes. Brodkorb (1967)
placed the genus in the family Rallidae, subfamily Rallinae, without
comment. Cracraft (1972) established that Telmatornis did not belong
in the Rallidae but was instead very similar to the Burhinidae. He
synonymized _T. affinis_ with _T. priscus_ and created a new family,
Telmatornithidae, for _T. priscus_ and _T. rex_.
We concur in synonymizing _T. affinis_ with _T. priscus_. The holotypes
and the new specimen of humerus (ANSP 15360), which is instructive in
that it preserves much more of the shaft (Figure 6_c_), are indeed
very similar to the humeri in the Burhinidae. In size they are closely
comparable to the small living species _Burhinus vermiculatus_ (cf.
Figure 6_g,h_). The fossils differ from _Burhinus_ in having (1) the
shaft less curved, both in dorsal and in lateral views; (2) brachial
depression shorter, wider, and slightly more distally located; in
distal view (3) the ventral condyle smaller and less rounded; and (4)
the dorsal tricipital groove shallower.
The distal portion of the humerus of _Telmatornis_ is similar to that
in _Presbyornis_ but differs in having (1) the dorsal condyle decidedly
more elongate; (2) olecranal fossa much shallower; (3) ventral
epicondyle in ventral view less distinctly demarcated but (4) more
protrudent in lateral or medial view.
The proximal end of humerus (YPM 850) that is the holotype of
_Graculavus pumilis_ was considered by Shufeldt (1915:19) definitely
to be from a limicoline charadriiform. It is from a bird exactly the
size of _Telmatornis priscus_ and its coloration and preservation would
not be incompatible with its being the opposite end of the same bone
as the holotype of _T. affinis_ (Figure 5_b,c,f,g_). The following
differences between the holotypical humeri of _G. velox_ and _“G.”
pumilis_ establish that these belong to different genera: (1) in
_velox_ the area dorsal to the ventral tubercle and distal to the head
is much more excavated, undercutting the head; (2) the dorsal tubercle
is more pronounced; (3) there is a distinct excavation distomedial to
the ventral tubercle, lacking in _pumilis_; (4) the ventral tubercle in
ventral view is much more produced in _velox_ than in _pumilis_.
The holotype of _G. pumilis_ is very similar to the humerus in the
Burhinidae but differs from that family and agrees with _Graculavus_
in characters 8, 9, and 10 (p. 6). It differs further from the
Burhinidae in having the area for the attachment of M. scapulohumeralis
caudalis extending farther distally in ventral view. It differs from
_Presbyornis_ mainly in lacking the excavation to and undercutting
the head. Because pumilis is not congeneric with _Graculavus velox_
and because of its size and similarities with the Burhinidae and
_Presbyornis_, we have no hesitation about considering Graculavus
pumilis Marsh, 1872, to be a junior subjective synonym of _Telmatornis
priscus_ Marsh, 1870.
The proximal end of an ulna, NJSM 11900 (Figure 5_j_), is from a bird
the size of _Burhinus vermiculatus_ and not too dissimilar to it
except that the shaft is more robust in the fossil. The specimen is
too imperfect to merit detailed study and is referred to Telmatornis
priscus only on size and probability.
The very fragmentary distal end of carpometacarpus associated with the
type of _G. pumilis_ (Figure 5_i_) is slightly larger and more robust
than in _Burhinus vermiculatus_, but not so much as to be incompatible
with _T. priscus_. Compared to _Burhinus_ (1) the symphysial area
is deeper and (2) the articular surface for the major digit is
proportionately larger, the specimen being somewhat more similar to the
carpometacarpus in _Presbyornis_.
The three specimens of _Palaeotringa_ Marsh from the Cretaceous of New
Jersey are based on poorly preserved distal ends of tibiotarsi. The
holotype of _Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870 (Figure 7_n_) is similar
in size to the comparable element in _Burhinus vermiculatus_, though
with a relatively more slender shaft, and hence is from a bird the
size of _T. priscus_, being smaller than any of the other species of
_Palaeotringa_. It is more similar to _Presbyornis_ than to _Burhinus_.
Because it is from a charadriiform the size of _T. priscus_, as first
revisers we tentatively consider _Palaeotringa vetus_ Marsh, 1870,
to be a subjective synonym of _Telmatornis priscus_ Marsh, 1870. The
only alternative would be to consign it to Aves incertae sedis. It is
of passing historical interest to recall Marsh's (1870:209) comment
that the type of _Palaeotringa vetus_ “apparently was the first fossil
bird-bone discovered in this country,” having been mentioned both by
Morton (1834) and Harlan (1835) as belonging to the genus _Scolopax_
(Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae).
The distal portion of tarsometatarsus NJSM 11853 (Figure 7_d,g,f_)
is unfortunately quite abraded. It is from a small charadriiform and
has a shaft width about the same as in _Burhinus vermiculatus_. If
this fossil came from an individual of _Telmatornis priscus_, as we
assume, _T. priscus_ being the smallest and most abundant “graculavid”
in the New Jersey Cretaceous deposits, then it is a very instructive
specimen, for it differs much more from Burhinus than does the humerus
of Telmatornis. NJSM 11853 differs from the Burhinidae and agrees with
_Presbyornis_ in having (1) the distal foramen proportionately large
and oval, not very small and circular; (2) a large, well-developed scar
for the hallux (hallux absent in Burhinidae); (3) external trochlea
proximodistally more elongate. That which remains of the inner trochlea
indicates that it was (1) somewhat more posteriorly retracted than
in _Burhinus_ but (2) not nearly as elevated and retracted as in
_Presbyornis_.
Pedal phalanx ANSP 15541 (Figure 7_a_) is from a bird the size of _T.
priscus_. This specimen is much longer and more slender than phalanx 1
of digit II in _Burhinus vermiculatus_ but has almost exactly the shape
and proportions of the same element in _Presbyornis_ (Figure 7_b_),
although being much smaller. Although its assignment to _Telmatornis_
is very tentative, the length of this element seems to indicate a
wading bird as opposed to one with the terrestrially adapted shorter
toes of the Burhinidae.
=Genus _Anatalavis_, new genus=
Type-Species.--Telmatornis rex Shufeldt, 1915.
Included Species.--Type-species only.
Diagnosis.--Differs from _Telmatornis_ and _Presbyornis_ in (1) having
the shaft very short, stout, and much more curved, both in dorsoventral
and lateromedial views. Differs from _Telmatornis_ and agrees with
_Presbyornis_ in (2) having the distal end in distal view deeper, with
(3) a narrower and much deeper olecranal fossa. Also, (4) the brachial
depression is smaller and narrower than in _Telmatornis_ but not as
deep, nor as proximally situated as in _Presbyornis_.
Etymology.--“Duck-winged bird,” from Latin _anas_, duck, _ala_, wing,
and _avis_, bird. The gender is feminine.
=_Anatalavis rex_ (Shufeldt, 1915), new combination=
Figure 6_a,b,d_J
Telmatornis rex Shufeldt, 1915:27, fig. 101.
Holotype.--Right humerus lacking proximal end, YPM 902 (Figure 6_a_).
Locality and Horizon.--From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township,
Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by W. Ross in 1878; probably
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), basal Hornerstown Formation.
Referred Specimen.--Paratypical left humerus lacking proximal end,
YPM 948 (Figure 6_b,d,f_). From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township,
Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by J.G. Meirs in 1869; probably
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), basal Hornerstown Formation.
Measurements (in mm).--Humeri (YPM 902, YPM 948, respectively): distal
width 13.6, 13.2; depth through dorsal condyle 7.3, 7.5; width of shaft
at proximal extent of brachial fossa 7.2,7.5; length from distal end of
pectoral crest to ventral condyle 49.1, 50.7; shaft width at midpoint
5.4, 5.6.
Remarks.--Shufeldt (1915:27) described this species in the same genus
as _T. priscus_ and _T. affinis_ but correctly noted that the humerus
“is a short one ... its sigmoid curve very pronounced.” Cracraft
(1972:41) considered that “except for its decidedly larger size, _T.
rex_ does not differ from _T. priscus_ in any significant features.”
In fairness to these authors, it should be noted that the great
differences between Anatalavis and Telmatornis are much more apparent
in comparisons with the new humerus of _T. priscus_ (ANSP 15360), which
preserves much more of the shaft than the previously known specimens.
Both Shufeldt and Cracraft considered YPM 948 to belong to the same
species as the holotype of _T. rex_, and we concur.
The specimens of _A. rex_ are not comparable with the type of
_Graculavus velox_, which was from a larger bird. _Anatalavis rex_
was a larger, heavier bird than _Telmatornis priscus_, with the
humerus remarkably short and robust, so that the overall length of the
humerus in _A. rex_ would scarcely have exceeded that of _T. priscus_.
_Anatalavis_ must have been a bird of considerably different flight
habits from _Telmatornis_ or _Presbyornis_. The overall appearance of
its humerus is in fact rather duck-like, except for the more expanded
distal end. It is still quite short and stout even for a duck.
=Genus _Laornis_ Marsh, 1870=
Type-Species.--_Laornis edvardsianus_ Marsh, 1870, by monotypy.
Included Species.--Type species only.
=_Laornis edvardsianus_ Marsh, 1870=
Figure 8_a,c,e_
_Laornis edvardsianus_ Marsh, 1870:206.
Holotype.--Distal end of right tibiotarsus, YPM 820.
Locality and Horizon.--From pits of the Pemberton Marl Company at
Birmingham, Burlington County, New Jersey; collected by J.C. Gaskill;
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), basal Hornerstown Formation.
Measurements (in mm).--Distal end of tibiotarsus, YPM 820: distal width
across condyles 22.6, depth of external condyle 19.3, depth of internal
condyle 21.1, least shaft width 11.7, least shaft depth 9.6.
Comparisons.--The very large size of this specimen has undoubtedly
been a factor in misleading those who have attempted to identify
it, as it came from a bird the size of a swan or a large crane.
The affinities of this fossil have long been questioned and the
species has for most of its history been in limbo. Marsh (1870:207)
concluded only that _Laornis_ “shows a strong resemblance in several
respects to the _Lamellirostres_ [Anseriformes], and also to the
_Longipennes_ [Charadriiformes (Lari) and Procellariiformes], but
differs essentially from the typical forms of both of these groups.” In
its own nebulous way, this assessment is concordant with our placement
of _Laornis_ in a charadriiform group that was near the ancestry of
the Anseriformes. Doubtless only on the strength of Marsh's comments.
Cope (1869-1870:237) placed _Laornis_ in the “Lamellirostres.” Hay
(1902:531) included _Laornis_ in the Anatidae. Shufeldt (1915:23)
hardly clarified matters when he characterized _Laornis_ as “at least
one of the generalized types of waders,” being a “remarkable type,
which seems to have, judging from this piece of the tibiotarsus,
Turkey, Swan, Crane, and even other groups all combined in it.”
Lambrecht (1933:526) included _Laornis_ as a genus incertae sedis in
his “Telmatoformes,” between the Aramidae and Otididae.
The type was restudied by Cracraft (1973:46) who put _Laornis_ in the
Gruiformes and created a new family (Laornithidae) and superfamily
(Laornithoidea) for it. He included it in his suborder Ralli, the only
other member of which was the Rallidae. After preliminary comparisons,
Olson (1974) ventured that _Laornis_ belonged in the suborder Lari
of the Charadriiformes. Brodkorb (1978:214) listed _Laornis_ under
Aves incertae sedis and guessed that it might be related to the
Pelecaniformes.
Except for the extreme difference in size, the tibiotarsus of _Laornis_
is in many respects similar to that of _Presbyornis_ (Figure 8),
especially in (1) the shape and position of the tubercle proximal to
the external condyle; (2) the transverse pit in the intercondylar
sulcus; and (3) the broad, shallow intercondylar sulcus as seen in
distal view. It differs in a seemingly minor but quite characteristic
feature, the large nutrient foramen situated in the groove for M.
peroneus brevis (Figure 8_c_). This is absent in _Presbyornis_ but is
present in both of the tibiotarsi from the Cretaceous of New Jersey
in which that portion of the bone is preserved (the holotypes of
Palaeotringa littoralis and _P. vagans_), as well as in a tibiotarsus
(Science Museum of Minnesota P75.22.25) from the type-locality of
_Dakotornis cooperi_ Erickson, 1975, that may be referable to that
graculavid-like species. The foramen in the peroneus brevis groove
may also be found in at least some specimens of Stercorariidae, which
is partly what led Olson (1974) to suggest a relationship between
_Laornis_ and the Lari. _Laornis_ appears to have been an extremely
large member of the “transitional Charadriiformes,” though where its
relationships may lie within that group cannot be determined.
=Genus _Palaeotringa_ Marsh, 1870=
Type-Species.--_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870; by subsequent
designation (Hay, 1902:527).
Included Species.--_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870, and
_Palaeotringa vagans_ Marsh, 1872.
=_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870=
Figure 7_l_
_Palaeotringa littoralis_ Marsh, 1870:208.
Holotype.--Distal portion of left tibiotarsus lacking most of the inner
condyle, YPM 830.
Locality and Horizon.--Collected in the “middle marl beds” by Nicolas
Wain from his marl pits near Hornerstown, New Jersey; Late Cretaceous
(Maastrichtian), either basal Hornerstown Formation or Navesink
Formation.
Measurements (in mm).--Depth through outer condyle 8.2; width of shaft
just proximal to outer condyle 7.0.
Comparisons.--This specimen and that of _P. vagans_ are too fragmentary
for useful comparison. Both have the foramen in the groove for
M. peroneus brevis, mentioned above. Their overall similarity to
_Presbyornis_ and to charadriiform birds in general justifies retaining
them with the other “graculavids” but other than this little else can
be said. In size, _Palaeotringa littoralis_ would have been about
equal to _Burhinus bistriatus vocifer_ and smaller than _Esacus
magnirostris_. Hence it would seem to be too small to belong to the
same species as _Graculavus velox_ and is definitely too large to be
referable to _Telmatornis priscus_.
[Illustration: Figure 8.--Distal end of right tibiotarsus of (_a,c,e_)
_Laornis edvardsianus_, holotype, YPM 820, compared with (_b,d,f_) the
same element enlarged in _Presbyornis_ sp., UW BQ305: _a,b_, anterior
views; _c,d_, lateral views (note large foramen in peroneus brevis
groove of _Laornis_); _e,f_, distal views. (_a,c,e_, × 1.5, _b,d,f_, ×
4; specimens coated with ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
=_Palaeotringa littoralis?_=
Figure 9_a_
Referred Material.--Distal portion of a left humerus, NJSM 11303.
Locality and Horizon.--Collected from the main fossiliferous layer of
the Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey;
Hornerstown Formation, latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian); collected 27
September 1972 by David C. Parris.
Measurements (in mm).--Distal width 12.8, depth through dorsal condyle
6.9, width of shaft at proximal extent of brachial fossa 8.2.
Comparisons.--This interesting specimen, although considerably worn,
clearly has the overall “graculavid” morphology but shows sufficient
differences from the humeri of _Telmatornis_ or _Anatalavis_ to warrant
its generic separation from them. In size it is about equal to the
modern form _Burhinus bistriatus vocifer_ and hence would be compatible
with _P. littoralis_. It differs from _Telmatornis_, _Anatalavis_, or
_Presbyornis_, and is more similar to _Burhinus_ in having (1) the
brachial depression wider, shallower, and more proximally situated.
Although affected by wear, (2) the dorsal condyle is nevertheless
considerably smaller and not produced as far proximally as in any of
the preceding genera, although _Presbyornis_ is more similar in this
respect than the others. In distal view the specimen is more similar
to _Presbyornis_ than to the other Cretaceous humeri, although (3) the
olecranal fossa is shallower. If this specimen is correctly referred
to _Palaeotringa_, it shows that genus to be distinct from any of the
others yet known in the fauna except possibly _Graculavus_, for which
the distal end of the humerus is unknown.
=_Palaeotringa vagans_ Marsh, 1872=
Figure 7_m_
_Palaeotringa vagans_ Marsh, 1872:365.
Holotype.--Fragmented distal two-thirds of a left tibiotarsus lacking
the external condyle and the anterior portion of the internal condyle,
YPM 835.
Locality and Horizon.--From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township,
Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by J.G. Meirs; Late Cretaceous
(Maastrichtian), “about ten feet below the surface of the marl” (Marsh,
1872:365), either basal Hornerstown Formation or Navesink Formation.
Measurements (in mm).--Width of shaft just proximal to external condyle
5.8.
Comparisons.--This very unsatisfactory specimen comes from a species
smaller than _P. littoralis_ and larger than _P. vetus_ (= _Telmatornis
priscus_). It differs from the latter and agrees with _P. littoralis_
in having the distal tendinal opening of a flattened oval shape, rather
than decidedly rounded. If we have correctly referred _P. vetus_ to
_Telmatornis priscus_, then it is certain that neither of the other
two species of _Palaeotringa_ can be referred to _Telmatornis_. In _P.
vagans_ the tendinal groove appears to be much narrower and the bridge
much deeper than in _P. littoralis_, but this is in part due to damage
and possible immaturity in the latter specimen, so it remains possible
that these species are in fact congeneric. The species _P. vagans_ can
be retained as it is smaller than any of the other graculavids in the
fauna except _T. priscus_, from which it is generically distinct.
=Graculavidae, Genus and Species Indeterminate=
Figure 9_b,c_
Referred Material.--Abraded distal end of left humerus and associated
proximal portion of humeral shaft, proximal end of radius, and fragment
of shaft of ulna, NJSM 11302.
Locality and Horizon.--Collected from the main fossiliferous layer of
the Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey;
Hornerstown Formation, latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian); collected 15
August 1972 by David C. Parris.
Measurements (in mm).--Humerus: distal width 19 mm, depth through
dorsal condyle 9.7, width of shaft at proximal extent of brachial fossa
11.0; greatest proximal diameter of radius 7.0.
Comparisons.--The distal end of the humerus is the only reasonably
diagnostic element in this assortment and indicates a large, robust
species that would have exceeded in size any of the others known in
this Cretaceous avifauna except _Laornis edvardsianus_, which was
much larger still. In size this bird would have approximated the
modern flamingo _Phoeniconaias minor_, which it somewhat resembles in
morphology as well. The humerus is not greatly different from that
of other Graculavidae in general aspect but is distinct in having a
larger, much deeper, and more proximally situated brachial depression.
It represents a species distinct from any of the others yet known
in the fauna and is certainly generically distinct from all except
possibly _Graculavus_, for which comparable elements are unknown.
=Order Procellariiformes?=
Among the newly collected material from the Inversand pit is a singular
avian humerus that cannot be assigned to the Graculavidae or to
any other known family, fossil or modern. Although it is generally
inadvisable to name even Paleogene birds on single elements, to say
nothing of Cretaceous ones, the specimen under consideration here is
superior to any of the other avian fossils yet collected from the
Cretaceous of New Jersey, both in preservation and in diagnostic
qualities, and it would seem incongruous to leave it innominate when
practically all the other fragments from the same deposits have
received names.
[Illustration: Figure 9.--Miscellaneous elements, _a_, _Palaeotringa
littoralis?_ (NJSM 11303), distal end of left humerus, palmar view;
_b_, Graculavidae, genus and species indeterminate (NJSM 11302),
distal end of left humerus, palmar view; _c_, proximal end of
radius associated with _b_; _d_, _Graculavus velox?_ (NJSM 11854),
right carpometacarpus; _e,f_, Procellariiformes?, genus and species
indeterminate (ANSP 15713), distal end of left ulna (_e_, external
view;/dorsal view); _g_, Aves, incertae sedis (NJSM 12119), distal end
of left femur, posterior view. (_a,b,c,d_, × 2; _e,f,g_, × 5; specimens
coated with ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
The most distinctive features of this specimen are the deep brachial
depression and the incipient ectepicondylar spur, thus calling to mind
both the Lari (Charadriiformes) and the Procellariiformes among modern
birds. Among the Pelecaniformes it also bears a resemblance to the
Phaethontidae and especially to the Eocene frigatebird _Limnofregata_
(Fregatidae) (Olson, 1977).
=Family Tytthostonychidae, new family=
Type Genus.--_Tytthostonyx_, new genus.
Included Genera.--Type genus only.
Diagnosis.--Differs from the Lari and other Charadriiformes in (1)
the low, narrow head; (2) the very large, long pectoral crest; (3)
the virtual absence of the incisura capitis or any excavation for M.
coracobrachialis cranialis; and (4) the shallow, indistinct tricipital
grooves. It agrees with the Procellariiformes and differs from
_Phaethon_ and _Limnofregata_ in characters 2 and 4, and in the large,
deeply excavated brachial depression. The ectepicondylar spur is better
developed than in any of the Pelecaniformes but not as well developed
as in the Procellariiformes. The apparently very broad pectoral crest
extends much farther distally than in any of the Procellariiformes or
even in _Limnofregata_, to which the fossil is somewhat more similar
in this respect. Tytthostonyx differs from any of the taxa compared in
having the ventral condyle very rounded, extending distally well past
the dorsal condyle.
=Genus _Tytthostonyx_, new genus=
Type-Species.--_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_, new species.
Included Species.--Type species only.
Diagnosis.--As for the family.
Etymology.--Greek, _tytthos_, little, plus _stonyx_, any sharp point.
The name is masculine in gender and refers to the small, presumably
rudimentary, ectepicondylar spur. It should not be confused with the
coleopteran genus _Tytthonyx_, based on _onyx_, claw.
=_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_, new species=
Figures 10, 11
Holotype.--Right humerus lacking the ventral tubercle, portions of the
pectoral crest, and other parts of the proximal end, where partially
reconstructed, NJSM 11341.
Locality and Horizon.--Main fossiliferous layer of the Inversand
Company marl pit, Sewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey; basal portion
of the Hornerstown Formation, latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian);
collected 11 October 1973 by David C. Parris.
Measurements of Holotype (in mm).--Length as reconstructed, 110; width
and depth of shaft at midpoint 7.0 × 5.6; distal width 14.8; depth
through dorsal condyle 8.7.
Etymology.--From Latin, _glaucus_ (Greek, _glaukos_), bluish green
or gray, sea-colored, applied to greensands because of their color,
although appropriate because of their marine origins as well; in
reference to the holotype having been recovered from beds of glauconite.
Remarks.--A possible relationship between the Procellariiformes and
Pelecaniformes has been previously suggested (Sibley and Ahlquist,
1972:70; Olson, 1985:142), and among the pelecaniform taxa most often
mentioned as being procellariiform-like are the Fregatidae. It is
tempting to regard the humerus of _Tytthostonyx_ as being similar
to that possessed by the ancestral stock that gave rise to the
Procellariiformes. Its similarities also to the Eocene frigatebird
_Limnofregata_ would thus be seen as corroborating the primitiveness
of the Fregatidae within the Pelecaniformes. Whereas _Tytthostonyx_
definitely has not achieved the highly distinctive and presumably
derived morphology of the humerus of modern Procellariiformes, the
incipient development of the ectepicondylar spur and deep brachial
depression could be interpreted as tending in that direction.
On the other hand, we must admit that we are dealing with only a
single bone and one of very great age at that, so that the risk of
overinterpreting the fossil is correspondingly great. We can only
discern the overall similarities of the specimen and phylogenetic
inferences can therefore be only tentative at best.
=Family and Genus Indeterminate=
Figure 9_e,f_
Referred Material.--Distal portion of left ulna ANSP 15713.
Locality and Horizon.--Inversand Company marl pit, near Sewell,
Gloucester County, New Jersey; Hornerstown Formation, Late Cretaceous
(Maastrichtian); not found in situ, collected on shelf formed by “blue
bed”; collected 31 August 1977 by Richard S. White.
Measurements (in mm).--Distal width 2.6, distal depth 3.1, width and
depth of shaft near point of break 1.8 × 1.9.
Comparisons.--This specimen comes from a very small bird. The only
modern pelagic birds in this size range are the storm-petrels of
the family Oceanitidae and the fossil resembles this family in the
extremely straight shaft of the ulna, the shape and depth of the
tendinal grooves, and the relatively well-developed scars for the
attachment of the secondaries. It differs from the Oceanitidae in
having the ventral lip of the external condyle much more rounded and
protrudent past the plane of the shaft, whereas the carpal tubercle in
dorsal view is markedly smaller. On this basis, the fossil certainly
could not be referred to the Oceanitidae and that it should be
associated with the Procellariiformes may be doubted as well.
[Illustration: Figure 10.--_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_, new genus
and species (holotype, NJSM 11341), right humerus: _a,b_, anconal and
palmar views of uncoated specimen to show reconstructed areas, × 0.8;
_c,d_, stereophotographs of coated specimen in anconal and palmar
views, × 1.3.]
[Illustration: Figure 11.--_Tytthostonyx glauconiticus_, new genus and
species (holotype, NJSM 11341), stereophotographs of distal end of
right humerus: _a_, anconal view; _b_, palmar view; _c_, ventral view;
_d_, dorsal view; _e_, distal view. (All figures × 2; specimens coated
with ammonium chloride to enhance detail.)]
=Aves, incertae sedis=
Figure 9_g_
Referred Material.--Distal end of left femur, NJSM 12119.
Locality and Horizon.--Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell, Gloucester
County, New Jersey; from processed spoil piles, precise stratum
unknown; collected 12 December 1981 by Cynthia Miller. Presumably
from the Hornerstown Formation but could be either Late Cretaceous or
Paleocene.
Measurements (in mm).--Distal width 4.3, distal depth 3.8.
Comparisons.--This is also from a very small bird, possibly the same
size as the species represented by the preceding ulna (ANSP 15713;
Figure 9_e,f_) but probably somewhat larger. It is characterized
by an extremely well-developed tubercle for the attachment of M.
gastrocnemius lateralis. A perfunctory perusal of modern taxa revealed
nothing similar.
=Discussion=
Because the specimens treated here are avian and of Mesozoic age, it is
almost certain that too much importance will be made of them by some
future authors. Indeed, it will probably be years before the literature
can be expunged of the records of presumed occurrences that arose from
previous misidentifications of these fossils. Therefore, in an effort
to forestall overenthusiasm for these fragments we shall present our
own brief assessment of their significance.
Unlike most other Cretaceous birds, such as the Hesperornithiformes,
Ichthyornithiformes, and Enantiornithiformes, which represent totally
extinct lineages (Olson, 1985), the Cretaceous birds of New Jersey are
of essentially modern aspect. However, there are no modern families
of birds represented in the fauna. The differences among the fossils
suggest that at least two orders are represented, but whether any or
all of the species can be placed in modern orders is more difficult
to say. This stems as much from the unsatisfactory state of the
ordinal classification of modern birds (Olson, 1981, 1985), as from
the incompleteness of the fossils. There are certain modern birds, for
example the Burhinidae, with sufficient similarities to some of the
Cretaceous fossils that there would be no problem with associating them
in the same ordinal-level taxon, though it would be more difficult to
say which other modern families should also be included.
The material is too poor to state how many families are represented
in the fauna, although if the various members of the “form-family”
Graculavidae were better known there can scarcely be any doubt that
more than one family would be recognized in this group. Within
the Graculavidae from New Jersey there appear to be six genera
(_Graculavus_, _Telmatornis_, _Palaeotringa_, _Laornis_, _Anatalavis_,
and an unnamed genus). These are diverse, ranging in size from the
smallest of the modern Burhinidae to that of a large crane. The very
short, robust, curved humeri of _Anatalavis_ indicate some diversity in
mode of flight as well. The greatest similarity of most of these forms
is to the early Paleogene bird _Presbyornis_, and then to the modern
family Burhinidae. Because these two groups are very different in their
habits and feeding adaptations we may expect that the various members
of the Graculavidae were probably as divergent from one another as are
_Presbyornis_ and _Burhinus_, their similarities being almost certainly
due to the retention of primitive characters.
Including the two genera and species that show some similarities to the
Procellariiformes, along with the small indeterminate femur, the total
avifauna from the New Jersey greensands comprises 8 or 9 genera and 9
or 10 species. As far as can be determined, all of the birds in this
assemblage were probably marine or littoral in habits. We certainly
would not interpret this as indicating that waterbirds are primitive
and that they gave rise to land birds, as suggested by Thulborn and
Hamley (1985) in their fantastic and highly improbable conjectures as
to the mode of life of _Archaeopteryx_. Indeed, just the opposite is
probably the case (Olson, 1985), the lack of Late Cretaceous fossils of
truly terrestrial or arboreal birds most likely being due to sampling
bias.
Appendix
The nonavian megafauna of the main fossiliferous layer (Basal
Hornerstown Formation), at the Inversand Company marl pit, Sewell,
Gloucester County, New Jersey is listed below. Also found in the
deposits were numerous coprolites of sharks and crocodilians, some
amber, phosphatized wood, and a few seeds. Voucher specimens are in the
collections of the New Jersey State Museum, Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, and Yale University (Princeton University collections).
Brachiopoda
_Terebratulina atlantica_ (Morton)
Gastropoda
_Gyrodes abyssinus_ (Morton)
_Acteon cretacea_ Gabb
_Anchura abrupta_ Conrad
_Turbinella parva_ Gabb
_Lunatia halli_ Gabb
_Pyropsis trochiformis_ (Tuomey)
_Volutoderma ovata_ Whitfield
_Turbinella subconica_ Gabb
_Turritella vertebroides_ Morton
Pelecypoda
_Cardium tenuistriatum_ Whitfield
_Glycymeris mortoni_ (Conrad)
_Gryphaea convexa_ (Say)
_Gervilliopsis ensiformis_ (Conrad)
_Panopea decisa_ Conrad
_Veniella conradi_ Morton
_Crassatella vadosa_ Morton
_Cucullaea vulgaris_ Morton
_Lithophaga ripleyana_ Gabb
_Xylophagella irregularis_ (Gabb)
_Nuculana stephensoni_ Richards
_Etea delawarensis_ (Gabb)
Nautiloidea
_Eutrephoceras dekayi_ (Morton)
Ammonoidea
_Baculites ovatus_ Say
_Sphenodiscus lobatus_ (Tuomey)
_Pachydiscus_ (_Neodesmoceras_) sp.
Crustacea
cf. _Hoploparia_ sp.
Chondrichthyes
_Lamma appendiculata_ (Agassiz)
_Odontaspis cuspidata_ (Agassiz)
_Squalicorax pristodontus_ (Morton)
_Hexanchus_ sp.
_Edaphodon stenobryus_ (Cope)
_Edaphodon mirificus_ Leidy
_Ischyodus_ cf. _I. thurmanni_ Pictet and Campiche
_Squatina_ sp.
_Myliobatis_ cf. _M. leidyi_ Hay
_Ischyrhiza mira_ Leidy
_Rhinoptera_ sp.
cf. _Rhombodus levis_ Cappetta and Case
Osteichthyes
_Enchodus_ cf. _E. ferox_ Leidy
_Enchodus_ cf. _E. serrulalus_ Fowler
_Paralbula casei_ Estes
Chelonia
_Adocus beatus_ Leidy
_Osteopygis emarginatus_ Cope
_Taphrospys sulcatus_ (Leidy)
_Dollochelys atlantica_ (Zangerl)
Crocodilia
cf. _Procaimanoidea_ sp.
_Hyposaurus rogersii_ Owen
_Thoracosaurus_ sp.
_Bottosaurus harlani_ Meyer
_Diplocynodon_ sp.
Lacertilia
_Mosasaurus_ sp.
_Plioplatecarpus_ sp.
Literature Cited
Baird, Donald
1967. Age of Fossil Birds from the Greensands of New Jersey. _Auk_,
84:260-262.
Brodkorb, Pierce
1963a. Birds from the Upper Cretaceous of Wyoming. _Proceedings
of the XIIIth International Ornithological Congress_, pages
55-70, 10 figures.
1963b. Catalogue of Fossil Birds, Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes
through Ardeiformes). _Bulletin of the Florida Slate Museum_,
_Biological Sciences_, 7(4):179-293.
1967. Catalogue of Fossil Birds, Part 3 (Ralliformes,
Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes). _Bulletin of the
Florida Slate Museum_, _Biological Sciences_, 11(3):99-220.
1978. Catalogue of Fossil Birds, Part 5 (Passeriformes). _Bulletin
of the Florida Stale Museum_, _Biological Sciences_,
23(3):140-228.
Conrad, Timothy A.
1869. Notes on American Fossiliferous Strata. _American Journal of
Science_, series 2, 47:358-364.
Cope, Edward Drinker
1869-1870. Synopsis of the Extinct Batrachia, Reptilia and Aves of
North America. _Transactions of the American Philosophical
Society_ [for 1871], new series, 14:252 pages, 55 figures, 14
plates.
Cracraft, Joel
1972. A New Cretaceous Charadriiform Family. _Auk_, 89:36-46, 3
figures, 2 tables.
1973. Systematics and Evolution of the Gruiformes (Class Aves), 3:
Phylogeny of the Suborder Grues. _Bulletin of the American
Museum of Natural History_, 151:1-128, 51 figures, 49 tables.
Erickson, Bruce R.
1975. _Dakotornis cooperi_, a New Paleocene Bird from North Dakota.
_Scientific Publications of the Science Museum of Minnesota_,
new series, 3(1):7 pages, 3 figures.
Fürbringer, Max
1888. _Untersuchungen zur Morphologie und Systematik der
Vögel, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Anatomie der Stütz- und
Bewegungsorgane._ 2 volumes, 1751 pages, 30 plates. Amsterdam:
Von Holkema. [Issued as _Koninklijk Zoölogisch Genootschap
"Natura Artis Magistra," Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde_
(Amsterdam), 15.]
Gaffney, Eugene
1975. A Revision of the Side-necked Turtle _Taphrosphys sulcatus_
(Leidy) from the Cretaceous of New Jersey. _American Museum
Novitates_, 2751:24 pages.
Harlan, Richard
1835. _Medical and Physical Researches: or Original Memoirs
in Medicine, Surgery, Physiology, Geology, Zoology, and
Comparative Anatomy,_ xxxix + 9-653 pages, illustrated.
Philadelphia: L.R. Bailey.
Hay, Oliver P.
1902. Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrata of North
America. _Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey_,
179:868 pages.
Howard, Hildegarde
1955. A New Wading Bird from the Eocene of Patagonia. _American
Museum Novitates_, 1710:25 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables.
Koch, Robert C., and Richard K. Olsson
1977. Dinoflagellate and Planktonic Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy
of the Uppermost Cretaceous of New Jersey. _Journal of
Paleontology_, 51:480-491, 4 figures.
Lambrecht, Kalman
1933. _Handbuch der Palaeornithologie._ 1024 pages, 209 figures, 4
plates. Berlin: Gebrüder Borntraeger.
Marsh, O.C.
1870. Notice of Some Fossil Birds from the Cretaceous and Tertiary
Formations of the United States. _American Journal of
Science_, series 2, 49:205-217.
1872. Preliminary Description of _Hesperornis regalis_, with
Notices of Four Other New Species of Cretaceous Birds.
_American Journal of Science_, series 3, 3:360-365.
1880. Odontornithes: A Monograph on the Extinct Toothed Birds of
North America. _Report of the Geological Exploration of the
Fortieth Parallel_, volume 7: xv + 201 pages, 40 figures, 34
plates.
Miller, Halsey W., Jr.
1955. A Check-list of the Cretaceous and Tertiary Vertebrates of
New Jersey. _Journal of Paleontology_, 29(5):903-914.
Minard, J.P., W.J. Perry, E.G.A. Weed, E.C. Rhodehamel, E.I. Robbins,
and R.B. Mixon
1974. Preliminary Report on Geology along Atlantic Coastal Margin
of Northeastern United States. _American Association of
Petroleum Geologists Bulletin_, 58(6):1169-1178, 7 figures.
Moore, Raymond C.
1958. _Introduction to Historical Geology._ 2nd edition, 656 pages,
593 figures. New York: McGraw Hill.
Morton, Samuel G.
1829. Description of the Fossil Shells Which Characterize the
Atlantic Secondary Formation of New Jersey and Delaware,
Including Four New Species. _Journal of the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia_, series 1, 6:72-100.
1834. _Synopsis of the Organic Remains of the Cretaceous Group of
the United States._ 96 pages, 19 plates. Philadelphia: Key and
Biddle.
Olson, Storrs L.
1974. [Review of] Joel Cracraft. Systematics and Evolution of the
Gruiformes (Class Aves), 3: Phylogeny of the Suborder Grues.
_Auk_, 91(4):862-865.
1977. A Lower Eocene Frigatebird from the Green River Formation
of Wyoming (Pelecaniformes: Fregatidae). _Smithsonian
Contributions to Paleobiology_, 35:33 pages, 31 figures.
1981. The Museum Tradition in Ornithology--A Response to Ricklefs.
_Auk_, 98(1):193-195.
1985. The Fossil Record of Birds. In Donald S. Farner, James
R. King, and Kenneth C. Parkes, editors. _Avian Biology_,
8:79-238, 11 figures. New York: Academic Press.
Olson, Storrs L., and Alan Feduccia
1980a. Relationships and Evolution of Flamingos (Aves:
Phoenicopteridae). _Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology_,
316:73 pages, 40 figures, 2 tables.
1980b. Presbyornis and the Origin of the Anseriformes (Aves:
Charadriomorphae). _Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology_,
323:24 pages, 15 figures.
Perry, W.J., Jr, J.P. Minard, E.G.A. Weed, S.L. Robbins, and E.C.
Rhodehamel
1975. Stratigraphy of Atlantic Coastal Margin of United States
North of Cape Hatteras--Brief Survey. _American Association of
Petroleum Geologists Bulletin_, 59(9):1529-1548, 12 figures.
Petters, Sunday W.
1976. Upper Cretaceous Subsurface Stratigraphy of Atlantic Coastal
Plain of New Jersey. _American Association of Petroleum
Geologists Bulletin_, 60(1):87-107, 7 figures.
Rapp, William F., Jr.
1943. List of the Fossil Birds of New Jersey. _Journal of
Paleontology_, 17(1):124.
Shufeldt, R.W.
1915. Fossil Birds in the Marsh Collection of Yale University.
_Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and
Sciences_, 19:1-109, 15 plates.
Sibley, Charles G., and Jon E. Ahlquist
1972. A Comparative Study of the Egg White Proteins of
Non-Passerine Birds. _Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale
University, Bulletin_, 39:276 pages, 37 figures.
Stephenson, L.W., P.B. King, W.H. Monroe, and R.W. Imlay
1942. Correlation of the Outcropping Cretaceous Formations of
the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain and Trans-Pecos, Texas.
_Geological Society of America Bulletin_, 53:435-448, 1 plate.
Thulborn, Richard A., and Tim L. Hamley
1985. A New Palaeoecological Role for _Archaeopteryx_. _In_ M.K.
Hecht, J.H. Ostrom, G. Viohl, and P. Wellnhofer, editors,
_The Beginnings of Birds: Proceedings of the International
Archaeopteryx Conference Eichstätt 1984_, pages 81-89, 2
figures. Eichstätt: Freunde des Jura-Museums.
Vanuxem, Lardner
1829. Remark on the Characters and Classification of Certain Rock
Formations. _American Journal of Science_, 16:254-256.
Wetmore, Alexander
1926. Fossil Birds from the Green River Deposits of Eastern Utah.
_Annals of the Carnegie Museum_, 16(3-4):391-402, plates 36-37.
1930. The Age of the Supposed Cretaceous Birds from New Jersey.
_Auk_, 47(2):186-188.
1940. A Check-list of the Fossil Birds of North America.
_Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections_, 99(4):1-81.
☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1987-181-717/60004
=REQUIREMENTS FOR SMITHSONIAN SERIES PUBLICATION=
=Manuscripts= intended for series publication receive substantive
review (conducted by their originating Smithsonian museums or offices)
and are submitted to the Smithsonian Institution Press with Form SI-36,
which must show the approval of the appropriate authority designated by
the sponsoring organizational unit. Requests for special treatment--use
of color, foldouts, case-bound covers, etc.--require, on the same form,
the added approval of the sponsoring authority.
=Review= of manuscripts and art by the Press for requirements of series
format and style, completeness and clarity of copy, and arrangement of
all material, as outlined below, will govern, within the judgment of
the Press, acceptance or rejection of manuscripts and art.
=Copy= must be prepared on typewriter or word processor, double-spaced,
on one side of standard white bond paper (not erasable), with 1¼"
margins, submitted as ribbon copy (not carbon or xerox), in loose
sheets (not stapled or bound), and accompanied by original art. Minimum
acceptable length is 30 pages.
=Front matter= (preceding the text) should include: =title page= with
only title and author and no other information, =abstract page= with
author, title, series, etc., following the established format; table of
=contents= with indents reflecting the hierarchy of heads in the paper;
also, =foreword= and/or =preface=, if appropriate.
=First page of text= should carry the title and author at the top
of the page; =second page= should have only the author's name and
professional mailing address, to be used as an unnumbered footnote on
the first page of printed text.
=Center heads= of whatever level should be typed with initial caps of
major words, with extra space above and below the head, but no other
preparation (such as all caps or underline, except for the underline
necessary for generic and specific epithets). Run-in paragraph heads
should use period/dashes or colons as necessary.
=Tabulations= within text (lists of data, often in parallel columns)
can be typed on the text page where they occur, but they should not
contain rules or numbered table captions.
=Formal tables= (numbered, with captions, boxheads, stubs, rules)
should be submitted as carefully typed, double-spaced copy separate
from the text; they will be typeset unless otherwise requested. If
camera-copy use is anticipated, do not draw rules on manuscript copy.
=Taxonomic keys= in natural history papers should use the
aligned-couplet form for zoology and may use the multi-level indent
form for botany. If cross referencing is required between key and text,
do not include page references within the key, but number the keyed-out
taxa, using the same numbers with their corresponding heads in the text.
=Synonymy= in zoology must use the short form (taxon, author,
year:page), with full reference at the end of the paper under
“Literature Cited.” For botany, the long form (taxon, author,
abbreviated journal or book title, volume, page, year, with no
reference in “Literature Cited”) is optional.
=Text-reference system= (author, year: page used within the text, with
full citation in “Literature Cited” at the end of the text) must be
used in place of bibliographic footnotes in all Contributions Series
and is strongly recommended in the Studies Series: “(Jones, 1910:122)"
or “...Jones (1910:122)." If bibliographic footnotes are required, use
the short form (author, brief title, page) with the full citation in
the bibliography.
=Footnotes=, when few in number, whether annotative or bibliographic,
should be typed on separate sheets and inserted immediately after the
text pages on which the references occur. Extensive notes must be
gathered together and placed at the end of the text in a notes section.
=Bibliography=, depending upon use, is termed “Literature Cited,”
"References," or "Bibliography.” Spell out titles of books, articles,
journals, and monographic series. For book and article titles use
sentence-style capitalization according to the rules of the language
employed (exception: capitalize all major words in English). For
journal and series titles, capitalize the initial word and all
subsequent words except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
Transliterate languages that use a non-Roman alphabet according to the
Library of Congress system. Underline (for italics) titles of journals
and series and titles of books that are not part of a series. Use the
parentheses/colon system for volume (number): pagination: “10(2):5-9,”
For alignment and arrangement of elements, follow the format of recent
publications in the series for which the manuscript is intended.
Guidelines for preparing bibliography may be secured from Series
Section, SI Press.
=Legends= for illustrations must be submitted at the end of the
manuscript, with as many legends typed, double-spaced, to a page as
convenient.
=Illustrations= must be submitted as original art (not copies)
accompanying, but separate from, the manuscript. Guidelines for
preparing art may be secured from Series Section, SI Press. Ail
types of illustrations (photographs, line drawings, maps, etc.) may
be intermixed throughout the printed text. They should be termed
=Figures= and should be numbered consecutively as they will appear in
the monograph. If several illustrations are treated as components of a
single composite figure, they should be designated by lowercase italic
letters on the illustration; also, in the legend and in text references
the italic letters (underlined in copy) should be used: “Figure 9b.”
Illustrations that are intended to follow the printed text may be
termed =Plates=, and any components should be similarly lettered and
referenced: “Plate 9b ” Keys to any symbols within an illustration
should appear on the art rather than in the legend.
=Some points of style:= Do not use periods after such abbreviations
as “mm, ft, USNM, NNE.” Spell out numbers "one” through “nine” in
expository text, but use digits in all other cases if possible.
Use of the metric system of measurement is preferable; where use
of the English system is unavoidable, supply metric equivalents in
parentheses. Use the decimal system for precise measurements and
relationships, common fractions for approximations. Use day/month/year
sequence for dates: “9 April 1976." For months in tabular listings or
data sections, use three-letter abbreviations with no periods: “Jan,
Mar, Jun,” etc. Omit space between initials of a personal name: “J.B.
Jones.”
=Arrange and paginate sequentially every sheet of manuscript= in the
following order: (1) title page, (2) abstract, (3) contents, (4)
foreword and/or preface, (5) text, (6) appendixes, (7) notes section,
(8) glossary, (9) bibliography, (10) legends, (11) tables. Index copy
may be submitted at page proof stage, but plans for an index should be
indicated when manuscript is submitted.
* * * * *
Transcriber Note
The caption for Figure 4 was moved to the page that the figure is on.
The species _Graculavus pumilis_ appears to have been mistyped in three
locations as _Graculavus pumilus_ and were corrected.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69109 ***
|