Paraortygoides radagasti, new species

ETYMOLOGY: For the wizard of Middle Earth, Radagast the Brown, rabid communicator with birds (Tolkien, 1954: 269).

HOLOTYPE: BMNH PAL A 6217 (figs. 2, 3, 4), partial associated specimen consisting of four cervical vertebrae; one sternal fragment; one sacral vertebra; eight rib fragments; three thoracic vertebrae; proximal right scapula; proximal end of right carpometacarpus; distal end of left femur; proximal end of left femur; caput of right femur; left distal femur; proximal end of left tibiotarsus; two fragmentary distal condyles of tibiotarsus; proximal end of left tarsometatarsus; right distal tarsometatarsus; ten pedals; and eleven indeterminate but associated bone fragments (including fragments of? skull bones). This specimen was referred to as a ‘‘small gamebird’’ by Harrison (1983).

PARATYPE: BMNH PAL A 5234, distal end of left tarsometatarsus.

LOCALITY AND HORIZON: Walton­on­the­ Naze, Essex, southeast England (fig. 1). Bed A2 of the London Clay Formation, Lower Eocene (Ypresian Stage; King, 1981). Both specimens were collected in 1977 by Mr. Steve Vincent (see Harrison, 1983).

DIAGNOSIS: As discussed by Mayr (2000), Paraortygoides exhibits a number of osteological characters that allow its placement within Galliformes. The new species described here, albeit less completely preserved than the known specimens of P. messelensis, does preserve characters, including a cranially shifted processus pisiformis of carpometacarpus and an asymmetric plantar side of trochlea metatarsi III, that confirm its placement within the order (see Mayr, 2000). However, none of the characters listed by Mayr (2000: 47) as uniquely diagnostic for this genus are preserved in BMNH PAL A 6217; hence, our referral of this fossil material to Paraortygoides is based on its clear similarity to the currently known specimens of P. messelensis (Fig. 4, below). Further generic diagnoses for Paraortygoides with respect to other well­represented Tertiary taxa (e.g., Quercymegapodius, Gallinuloides) are given in Mayr (2000).

Paraortygoides radagasti, n. sp., is differentiated from P. messelensis Mayr on the basis of the following characters: facies articularis humeralis of scapula larger and more robust; processus extensorius of carpometacarpus narrower and more proximally upturned; processus pisiformis more prominent. Measurements of preserved elements are given in table 1.