We report remains of an ergilornithid bird from the late Miocene of Türkiye. The material includes a distal femur and tibiotarsus, as well as wing bones (partial humerus, ulna, and carpometacarpus). It is tentatively assigned to the taxon Urmiornis, of which several species were described known from the Miocene and Pliocene of Asia. Before, only a single wing element (a referred proximal humerus) was known for ergilornithids, and the new fossils conclusively show that these birds were flightless. The phylogenetic affinities of ergilornithids have been the subject of some controversy, and these birds were likened to very disparate taxa by different authors, i.e., the palaeognathous Struthioniformes (ostriches) and the neognathous Gruiformes (cranes and allies). The newly identified proximal humerus and carpometacarpus closely resemble the corresponding elements of ostriches and corroborate struthioniform affinities of ergilornithids. It remains elusive why ergilornithids did not disperse into Africa, whereas other characteristic taxa of the Hipparion fauna did.
Tapiridae remains are poorly documented in the Balkan Peninsula, leaving a significant gap in the paleobiogeographic and evolutionary record of the family. The recent discovery of a well-preserved upper molar and a fragmentary lower molar of a tapirid at Ridjake, Serbia, helps to fill this gap. Comparative analysis indicates that the specimens belong to Tapirus arvernensis, a species associated with humid and forested environments of the Pliocene.
This study presents the first accurate record of the toxodontid Toxodon platensis in the Late Pleistocene of the San Luis Province, central-western Argentina. The specimen, CHN-UNLC-PV 7, is a partial skull recovered from the Barranquita Formation at Río Cañada Honda locality. Stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of the Río Cañada Honda section identify a mud-dominated sequence with interstratified sandy-gravelly facies, reflecting a depositional environment characterized by fluvial and alluvial-eolian conditions. These deposits fill depressed erosive surfaces on the igneous-metamorphic basement of the Sierra de San Luis, known locally as “pampas de altura”. The anatomical study of the skull reveals features consistent with Toxodon platensis, including its characteristic dental morphology and a relatively flattened cranial profile. Metrical comparisons indicate a smaller size than some contemporary specimens, suggesting a subadult ontogenetic stage. Furthermore, the use of medical CT scans allows for the description of poorly known intracranial anatomy of this taxon and the discussion of previous interpretations. The resulting braincast shows oval-shaped cerebral hemispheres with clear but shallow gyrification, well-developed temporal lobes, and protruding ‘plowshare-shaped‘ olfactory lobes. The epitympanic sinus is tear-shaped and smaller than in other toxodotids. Paleobiogeographically, the occurrence of T. platensis in fluvial sediments of the Barranquita Formation serves as a critical geographic bridge within the “Arid Diagonal” in Argentina filling a regional gap between the eastern lowland records and those of the Andean region.
