Implications of the Procellariiformes (Aves) Fossil Record from the Eocene of Antarctica

ACIOSTA HOSPITALECHE, CAROLINA; GELFO J. N.; REGUERO, M.

Goa

Simposio; XII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Science; 2015

SCAR

Antarctic fossil avifauna is mainly represented by penguins. Thousands of isolated penguin bones and a few skeletons coming from West Antarctica Paleocene and Eocene levels, have been described. It is consistent with other austral marine records; penguins are gregarious birds that settle large reproductive colonies along the coasts today and likely made it in the past. It is translated in great accumulations of bone that are easily preserved due to their dense and compact nature. In contrast, a short list of nonpenguin avian is known, including a single and doubtful Ratites and volant birds. Flying bird fossil record includes Gaviiformes, Ciconiiformes, Procellariiformes, Gruiformes, Polyborinae, Pelagornithidae, and Anseriformes from Maastrichtian to Bartonian. Among waterbirds, record of Procellariiformes becomes particularly interesting since living species are almost exclusively pelagic birds mainly distributed across the Southern Hemisphere oceans.Remains here described reaffirm the presence of Procellariiformes in Antarctica during the Eocene. Previous Paleogene taxa of the group were found in European and North American fossil sites, even when the main distribution of extant species is in the Southern Hemisphere. Something similar happens with Gaviiformes, whose fossil record is abundant in Antarctica but they are exclusive habitants of the North Hemisphere today.