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An Old World hummingbird from the Oligocene: a new fossil from Polish Carpathians

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Abstract

A near-complete, partially articulated skeleton of a hummingbird was recently found in the menilite shales of the Polish Flysh Carpathians. The specimen is dated to the Early Oligocene (Rupelian, approx. 31 Myr). It shares derived characters with extant hummingbirds and plesiomorphic characters with swifts. Its long, thin beak and short and stout humerus and ulna are typical for hummingbirds, but the coracoid resembles that observed in swifts. The osteology of the specimen is generally similar to that of the hummingbird described from the Early Tertiary of Germany but because it clearly differs in some characters from the German hummingbird Eurotrochilus inexpectatus, it is described as a new species of the same genus.

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Acknowledgments

Edward Noniewicz, collector of the specimen, is thanked for allowing us study it before the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals acquired it. We are also highly indebted to J. Kotlarczyk for his remarks on the stratigraphy, to G. Mayr for taking measurements of Chrysolampis mosquitus and useful comments and to J.R. Stewart for general discussions regarding this paper and for correcting the English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Slawkowska 17, 31-016, Krakow, Poland

    Zygmunt Bochenski & Zbigniew M. Bochenski

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  1. Zygmunt Bochenski
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  2. Zbigniew M. Bochenski
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Correspondence to Zygmunt Bochenski.

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Communicated by J. Fjeldså.

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Bochenski, Z., Bochenski, Z.M. An Old World hummingbird from the Oligocene: a new fossil from Polish Carpathians. J Ornithol 149, 211–216 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-007-0261-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-007-0261-y

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