Skull morphology and ontogenetic variations of the Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus (Aves: Procellariiformes)

PIRO, ALEJANDRA; ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE, CAROLINA ILEANA ALICIA

POLAR BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2019 vol. 42 p. 27 - 45

0722-4060

The Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus is the largest Procellariidae around the  world. Beyond the most striking features on the skull, the strong hooked bill with tubular,  dorsally-placed, external nostrils, these petrels have been the focus of diverse studies,  except osteological ones. Even less is known about the osteology in juveniles and chicks. A  comparative description of the skull anatomy of the Southern Giant Petrel M. giganteus,  highlighting the differences along each postnatal ontogenetic stage, is given here. As a  result, we found that the shape of the skull does not vary among the compared stages and  that there is a progression in the fusion of the elements of the skull and mandible. Besides,  less obvious results show a little intraspecific variation among specimens of the same  ontogenetic stage, involving osteological features such as the quantity and shape of   foramina within pneumatic bone surfaces, and the fact that general size is not associated   with sexual dimorphism. The beak acquires its characteristic development and sturdiness  from early stages. Conversely, the fossae glandulae nasalis is only developed in juveniles  and adults, being absent in earlier stages.