Tyto letocarti Balouet & Olson 1989

Tyto letocarti

Tyto letocarti Balouet, 1987:178 [nomen nudum].

HOLOTYPE.—Complete adult left femur, NCG 1000, Institut de Paléontologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (Figure 8A,B).

TYPE LOCALITY.—Lower layer (antedating the arrival of man and Rattus) of the deposits at Gilles Cave, 5 km WSW of Boulouparis, west coast of New Caledonia. 21°53′ 23″S, 166°00′ 15″E.

MEASUREMENTS OF HOLOTYPE.—See Table 8.

PARATYPES.—Gilles Cave, lower layers: 2 thoracic vertebrae (NCG 1001, 1002); left coracoid, with sternocoracoidal process broken (NCG 1003); left scapula with end of blade and acromion missing (NCG 1004); shaft of left humerus (NCG 1005); distal half of juvenile left femur (NCG 1006).

MEASUREMENTS OF PARATYPES (mm).—Coracoid: length with sternal end flat on calipers, 38.5; width and depth of shaft at midpoint, 4.0 × 2.4. Scapula: proximal width, 8.1. Humerus: width and depth of shaft at approximate midpoint, 5.4 × 4.6. (See also Table 8.)

COMPARATIVE MATERIAL.—Tyto alba (Scopoli), many from North America, 2 Africa, 2 Thailand, 1 Fiji, 1 Australia, all USNM; T. glaucops (Kaup), 3 USNM; T. novaehollandiae (Stevens), 2 NMV, 2 partial SAM; T. longimembris (Jerdon), 1 MVZ, 1 + 1 partial SAM; Phodilus badius (Horsfield), 1 USNM.

DIAGNOSIS.—Femur similar in size to that of Tyto longimembris but head smaller, shaft somewhat more robust, rotular groove very much wider, the ridges of the condyles not extending as far proximally, distal end more expanded. The coracoid is proportionately smaller and the shaft is much more slender. The furcular facet is much more pronounced and rotated more ventrally. The scapula has the blade straighter and narrower, with the proximal end much narrower as well.

ETYMOLOGY.—Named after Yves Letocart of the Water and Forest Service in Nouméa, who has been very active in the preservation of New Caledonian birds and who took part in prospecting for and collecting fossil birds.

STATUS.—Extinct, endemic; known from fossils only.