A late Miocene–early Pliocene Mihirung bird (Aves: Dromornithidae) from Victoria, southeast Australia

Abstract

Park, T. & Fitzgerald, E.M.G. September 2012. A late Miocene–early Pliocene Mihirung bird (Aves: Dromornithidae) from Victoria, southeast Australia. Alcheringa 36, 427–430. ISSN 0311-5518.

An incomplete tarsometatarsus identified as an indeterminate species of Dromornithidae is described from the upper Miocene–lower Pliocene shallow marine Black Rock Sandstone at Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia. This isolated specimen represents one of the few pre-Pleistocene dromornithids with a well-constrained geologic age. Additionally, it is one of the few pre-Quaternary dromornithid fossils recorded from southeast Australia. Comparisons with known dromornithid taxa suggest that the Beaumaris dromornithid is distinct from previously established species. This hitherto unknown species of dromornithid in the late Neogene of southeastern Australia cautions against deriving evolutionary patterns solely on the basis of fossils from northern Australia.

Key words:

• Aves
• bird
• Dromornithidae
• Australia
• Miocene
• Pliocene
• fossil

Acknowledgements

The authors thank: P. Vickers-Rich for provision of research materials; T. Worthy and M. Cenizo for their helpful reviews; and the Harold Mitchell Foundation and Museum Victoria for their support.