Sylviornis is an extinctgenus of large, flightless bird that was endemic to the islands of New Caledonia in the Western Pacific. It is considered to constitute one of two genera in the extinct familySylviornithidae, alongside Megavitiornis from Fiji, which are related to the Galliformes, the group containing the turkeys, chickens, quails and pheasants.[2]Sylviornis was never encountered alive by scientists, but it is known from many thousands of subfossil bones found in deposits, some of them from the Holocene, on New Caledonia and the adjacent Île des Pins. It was likely hunted to extinction shortly after the first human arrival to New Caledonia around 1500 BC.
Sylviornis was a huge flightless bird, standing up to 1.2–1.6 m (3.9–5.2 ft) tall, and weighing around 40 kg (88 lb) on average.[3] In the 2016 study, its height in resting stance was estimated up to 0.8 m (2.6 ft), while its mass estimate decreased to 27–34 kg (60–75 lb).[2] It is the most massive pangalliform known to have ever existed. It had a large skull with a high and laterally compressed beak surmounted by a bony knob. Its legs were rather short, but had strong toes with long nails. The skeleton has a number of peculiarities and differences that make Sylviornis stand apart from all other known birds: the clavicles were not fused to a furcula, the number of caudal vertebrae was very high, and the ribcage and pelvis were almost dinosaurian in appearance. The wings were reduced to small stubs.[citation needed]
Native accounts believed to be based on Sylviornis describe a bird reddish in color, with a star-shaped calque on its head, and fast despite being flightless because it used its reduced wings for balance while running.[4]
The anatomy of its skull suggests that it had a reduced optic lobes, with a well developed sense of smell and somatosensorial system, adapted for being active during twilight conditions (crepuscular) in search of food.[5] The diet is unknown. Because of its beak morphology and chicken-like feet, some authors guessed that the species was a herbivore that fed on low vegetation and dug up roots and tubers, but others that it was a specialized invertebrate predator.[4]
A large proportion—up to 50% in some deposits—of the remains found were from juvenile animals. Thus, it has been theorized that Sylviornis had a clutch of at least two, more probably closer to 10 eggs, and that the average lifespan was not much more than 5–7 years, which would be extremely low for such a large bird. It was thought that the bird did not incubate its eggs but built a mound similar to the megapodes. Tumuli on the Île des Pins which were initially believed to be graves were found to contain no human remains or grave goods, and it has been hypothesized that they were the incubation mounds of Sylviornis. As these mounds are up to 5 m (16 ft) high and 50 m (160 ft) wide even after nearly four millennia, they seem too large to have been made by the giant scrubfowl (Megapodius molistructor), an extinct New Caledonian species of megapode. However, recent assessment of this bird as outside and not even particularly closely related to megapodes make the possibility that it was a mound-builder like them strictly unlikely.[2]
In native accounts, the bird only laid one egg between November and April that was not incubated, covered, or protected in any way. However, the adults were aggressive.[4]
Extinctionedit
Sylviornis is the most common fossil animal in New Caledonia and its remains are often found in human contexts. The bird was likely hunted to extinction by the Lapita ancestors of the Kanak people, who settled New Caledonia around 1500 BCE. The most recent evidence of the species is a bone from the Pindai Cavescarbon dated to 1120-840 BCE.[6] If native accounts are accurate, its eggs and hatchlings would also be vulnerable to introduced mammalian predators.[4]
^ abPoplin, François (1980). "Sylviornis neocaledoniae n. g., n. sp. (Aves), ratite éteint de la Nouvelle-Calédonie". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série D (in French). 290: 691–694.
^Riamon, Ségolène; Balouet, Jean-Christophe; Rolland-Guillard, Jeanne; Salaviale, Céline; Guenser, Pauline; Steyer, Jean-Sébastien; Louchart, Antoine (7 December 2022). "The endocast of the insular and extinct Sylviornis neocaledoniae (Aves, Galliformes), reveals insights into its sensory specializations and its twilight ecology". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 21185. Bibcode:2022NatSR..1221185R. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-14829-z. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC9729198. PMID 36477415.
^Anderson, Atholl; Sand, Christophe; Petchey, F.; Worthy, Trevor (2010). "Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia: Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves". Journal of Pacific Archaeology. 1 (1): 89–109. hdl:10289/5404.
Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile; Balouet, J. C. (2005). "Description of the skull of the genus Sylviornis Poplin, 1980 (Aves, Galliformes, Sylviornithidae new family), a giant extinct bird from the Holocene of New Caledonia". In Alcover, J. A.; Bover, P. (eds.). Proceedings of the International Symposium "Insular Vertebrate Evolution: the Palaeontological Approach". Monografies de la Societat d'Història Natural de les Balears. Vol. 12. pp. 205–218.
Poplin, François (1980). "Sylviornis neocaledoniae n. g., n. sp. (Aves), ratite éteint de la Nouvelle-Calédonie". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série D (in French). 290: 691–694.
Worthy, Trevor H.; Mitri, Miyess; Handley, Warren D.; Lee, Michael S. Y.; Anderson, Atholl; Sand, Christophe (30 March 2016). "Osteology supports a stem-galliform affinity for the giant extinct flightless birds Sylviornis neocaledoniae (Sylviornithidae, Galloanseres)". PLOS One. 11 (3): e0150871. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1150871W. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150871. PMC4814122. PMID 27027304.
External linksedit
Article with reconstruction pictures of Sylviornis
January 01, 1970
sylviornis, extinct, genus, large, flightless, bird, that, endemic, islands, caledonia, western, pacific, considered, constitute, genera, extinct, family, sylviornithidae, alongside, megavitiornis, from, fiji, which, related, galliformes, group, containing, tu. Sylviornis is an extinct genus of large flightless bird that was endemic to the islands of New Caledonia in the Western Pacific It is considered to constitute one of two genera in the extinct family Sylviornithidae alongside Megavitiornis from Fiji which are related to the Galliformes the group containing the turkeys chickens quails and pheasants 2 Sylviornis was never encountered alive by scientists but it is known from many thousands of subfossil bones found in deposits some of them from the Holocene on New Caledonia and the adjacent Ile des Pins It was likely hunted to extinction shortly after the first human arrival to New Caledonia around 1500 BC SylviornisTemporal range Holocene Skeletal reconstruction with known bones in white Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Family Sylviornithidae Genus SylviornisPoplin 1980 1 Species S neocaledoniae Binomial name Sylviornis neocaledoniaePoplin 1980 1 Contents 1 Description 2 Behaviour and ecology 3 Extinction 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription edit nbsp Skull Sylviornis was a huge flightless bird standing up to 1 2 1 6 m 3 9 5 2 ft tall and weighing around 40 kg 88 lb on average 3 In the 2016 study its height in resting stance was estimated up to 0 8 m 2 6 ft while its mass estimate decreased to 27 34 kg 60 75 lb 2 It is the most massive pangalliform known to have ever existed It had a large skull with a high and laterally compressed beak surmounted by a bony knob Its legs were rather short but had strong toes with long nails The skeleton has a number of peculiarities and differences that make Sylviornis stand apart from all other known birds the clavicles were not fused to a furcula the number of caudal vertebrae was very high and the ribcage and pelvis were almost dinosaurian in appearance The wings were reduced to small stubs citation needed Native accounts believed to be based on Sylviornis describe a bird reddish in color with a star shaped calque on its head and fast despite being flightless because it used its reduced wings for balance while running 4 Behaviour and ecology edit nbsp Sylviornis neocaledoniae skull fragment and tibia Museum national d histoire naturelle Paris The anatomy of its skull suggests that it had a reduced optic lobes with a well developed sense of smell and somatosensorial system adapted for being active during twilight conditions crepuscular in search of food 5 The diet is unknown Because of its beak morphology and chicken like feet some authors guessed that the species was a herbivore that fed on low vegetation and dug up roots and tubers but others that it was a specialized invertebrate predator 4 A large proportion up to 50 in some deposits of the remains found were from juvenile animals Thus it has been theorized that Sylviornis had a clutch of at least two more probably closer to 10 eggs and that the average lifespan was not much more than 5 7 years which would be extremely low for such a large bird It was thought that the bird did not incubate its eggs but built a mound similar to the megapodes Tumuli on the Ile des Pins which were initially believed to be graves were found to contain no human remains or grave goods and it has been hypothesized that they were the incubation mounds of Sylviornis As these mounds are up to 5 m 16 ft high and 50 m 160 ft wide even after nearly four millennia they seem too large to have been made by the giant scrubfowl Megapodius molistructor an extinct New Caledonian species of megapode However recent assessment of this bird as outside and not even particularly closely related to megapodes make the possibility that it was a mound builder like them strictly unlikely 2 In native accounts the bird only laid one egg between November and April that was not incubated covered or protected in any way However the adults were aggressive 4 Extinction editSylviornis is the most common fossil animal in New Caledonia and its remains are often found in human contexts The bird was likely hunted to extinction by the Lapita ancestors of the Kanak people who settled New Caledonia around 1500 BCE The most recent evidence of the species is a bone from the Pindai Caves carbon dated to 1120 840 BCE 6 If native accounts are accurate its eggs and hatchlings would also be vulnerable to introduced mammalian predators 4 See also edit nbsp Paleontology portal Biodiversity of New Caledonia Holocene extinction Island gigantism Late Quaternary prehistoric birdsReferences edit a b Poplin Francois 1980 Sylviornis neocaledoniae n g n sp Aves ratite eteint de la Nouvelle Caledonie Comptes Rendus de l Academie des Sciences Serie D in French 290 691 694 a b c Worthy Trevor Mitri Miyess Handley Warren Lee Michael Anderson Atholl Sand Christophe 2016 Osteology supports a steam galliform affinity for the giant extinct flightless birds Sylviornis neocaledoniae Sylviornithidae Galloanseres PLOS ONE 11 3 e0150871 Bibcode 2016PLoSO 1150871W doi 10 1371 journal pone 0150871 PMC 4814122 PMID 27027304 Steadman David W 1999 The biogeography and extinction of megapodes in Oceania Zoologische Verhandelingen 327 7 21 a b c d Hume J P 2017 Extinct Birds Bloomsbury Publishing 560 pages Riamon Segolene Balouet Jean Christophe Rolland Guillard Jeanne Salaviale Celine Guenser Pauline Steyer Jean Sebastien Louchart Antoine 7 December 2022 The endocast of the insular and extinct Sylviornis neocaledoniae Aves Galliformes reveals insights into its sensory specializations and its twilight ecology Scientific Reports 12 1 21185 Bibcode 2022NatSR 1221185R doi 10 1038 s41598 022 14829 z ISSN 2045 2322 PMC 9729198 PMID 36477415 Anderson Atholl Sand Christophe Petchey F Worthy Trevor 2010 Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves Journal of Pacific Archaeology 1 1 89 109 hdl 10289 5404 Mourer Chauvire Cecile Balouet J C 2005 Description of the skull of the genus Sylviornis Poplin 1980 Aves Galliformes Sylviornithidae new family a giant extinct bird from the Holocene of New Caledonia In Alcover J A Bover P eds Proceedings of the International Symposium Insular Vertebrate Evolution the Palaeontological Approach Monografies de la Societat d Historia Natural de les Balears Vol 12 pp 205 218 Poplin Francois 1980 Sylviornis neocaledoniae n g n sp Aves ratite eteint de la Nouvelle Caledonie Comptes Rendus de l Academie des Sciences Serie D in French 290 691 694 Balouet Jean Christophe Olson Storrs L 1989 Fossil Birds from Late Quaternary Deposits in New Caledonia PDF Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 469 469 1 38 doi 10 5479 si 00810282 469 Worthy Trevor H Mitri Miyess Handley Warren D Lee Michael S Y Anderson Atholl Sand Christophe 30 March 2016 Osteology supports a stem galliform affinity for the giant extinct flightless birds Sylviornis neocaledoniae Sylviornithidae Galloanseres PLOS One 11 3 e0150871 Bibcode 2016PLoSO 1150871W doi 10 1371 journal pone 0150871 PMC 4814122 PMID 27027304 External links editArticle with reconstruction pictures of Sylviornis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sylviornis amp oldid 1208316165, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
