Gracanicanetta, Bochenski & Happ & Salwa & Tomek, 2025

Genus Gracanicanetta gen. nov.

zoobank.org/ B466431A-DAD9-4C5C-A309-10BCC3F8A98B

Type species. Gracanicanetta happi gen. et sp.

nov.

Etymology. After Gračanica where the specimen was found, added to the Greek “netta” meaning

“duck”.

Taxonomic remarks. The new species resembles

Anatidae in overall morphology of all skeletal elements, including long processus retroarticularis of the mandibula, foramina neurovascularia on the beak and mandibula, coracoid with deeply concave and rounded cotyla scapularis, laterally protruding facies articularis humeralis, humerus with capital shaft ridge and carpometacarpus with a notch in the caudal rim of the dorsal portion of the trochlea carpalis.

Differential diagnosis. Gracanicanetta happi gen.

et sp. nov. is distinguished from:

* Lavanttalornis hassleri Bochenski, Happ, Salwa, Tomek, 2023, from the late Middle Miocene of southern Austria, in: coracoid with straight medial edge of shaft that does not incline medially, humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone, carpometacarpus with short synostosis metacarpalis distalis, and a relatively small value of the ratio of the length of carpometacarpus to the length of phalanx proximalis digiti majoris;

* Mionetta blanchardi (Milne-Edwards, 1863) , from the late Oligocene to Middle Miocene of Europe, in: skull with beak significantly shorter than the braincase, and elongated preorbital region, clavicula very robust and thick, humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone; carpometacarpus with short synostosis metacarpalis distalis;

* Caerulonettion natator (Milne-Edwards, 1867– 1868), from the Early Miocene of France and the Czech Republic, and early Middle Miocene of Germany, in: coracoid with processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft, and humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone;

* Mionetta defossa Zelenkov, 2023c , from the Early Miocene of France and the Aral Sea region, Kazakhstan, Miotadorna sanctibathansi Worthy, Tennyson, Jones, McNamara, and Douglas, 2007 , from the early Middle Miocene of New Zealand, and Aythya denesi (Kessler, 2013) from the Late Miocene of Hungary, in: humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone;

* Manuherikia Worthy, Tennyson, Jones, McNamara, and Douglas, 2007 from the early middle Miocene of New Zealand, in: coracoid with the plane through the depth of the acrocoracoid subperpendicular to the plane of extremitas sternalis;

* Dunstanetta Worthy, Tennyson, Jones, McNamara, and Douglas, 2007 , from the early middle Miocene of New Zealand, in: coracoid with processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft, and facies articularis clavicularis without a distinct notch in its caudal margin;

* Pinpanetta Worthy, 2009 , from the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene of Australia, in coracoid with processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft, and humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone;

* Sharganetta mongolica Zelenkov, 2011 from the Middle Miocene of Mongolia, in: humerus with distal margin of the caput humeri in caudal view almost straight, and the caput humeri undercut by the fossa pneumotricipitalis dorsalis;

* Nogusunna conflictoides Zelenkov, 2011 from the middle Miocene of Mongolia, in: humerus with a weak capital shaft ridge oriented towards the tuberculum dorsale;

* Protomelanitta gracilis Zelenkov, 2011 , from the middle Miocene of Mongolia, in: coracoid with processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft, and humerus with the caput humeri somewhat wider proximodistally, and tuberculum ventrale directed caudo-cranially;

* Protomelanitta bakeri Stidham and Zelenkov, 2017 from the Middle Miocene of the USA, in: humerus with the caput humeri somewhat wider proximodistally and tuberculum dorsale is oriented more caudally;

* Protomelanitta velox (Milne-Edwards, 1867) , from the Middle Miocene of France, in: coracoid with a moderately deep depression in the dorsal part of the sulcus m. supracoracoidei and carpometacarpus with a deep fossa infratrochlearis;

* Chenoanas deserta Zelenkov, 2012b and Chenoanas asiatica Zelenkov, Stidham, Martynovich, Volkova, Li, Qui, 2018 , both from the Middle Miocene of eastern Russia and Mongolia, Chenoanas sansaniensis (Milne-Edwards, 1867–1868), from the Early to Middle Miocene of Europe, eastern Russia and Mongolia, and Matanas enrighti Worthy, Tennyson, Jones, McNamara and Douglas, 2007 , from the Early-Middle Miocene of New Zealand, in coracoid with processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft;

* Aix praeclara Zelenkov et Kurochkin, 2012 , Mioquerquedula soporata (Kurochkin, 1976) , and Mioquerquedula minutissima Zelenkov et Kurochkin, 2012 , all from the middle Miocene of Mongolia, in: coracoid with the plane through the depth of the acrocoracoid subperpendicular to the plane of extremitas sternalis, and processus acrocoracoideus hardly protruding beyond the medial margin of shaft;

* Tagayanetta palaeobaikalensis Zelenkov, 2023b, from Early–Middle Miocene of Lake Baikal region, Russia, and Aythya molesta (Kurochkin, 1985) , from the Late Miocene of Mongolia, in coracoid with facies articularis clavicularis without a distinct notch in its caudal margin;

* Selenonetta lacustrina Zelenkov, 2023b , from Early–Middle Miocene of Lake Baikal region, Russia, in: humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone, and the crista deltopectoralis noticeably longer than the proximal width of the humerus; through the depth of the acrocoracoid subperpendicular to the plane of extremitas sternalis, and facies articularis clavicularis without a distinct notch in its caudal margin;

* all extant ducks by a unique combination of characters: wide beak significantly shorter than the braincase, elongated preorbital (lacrimal) region of the skull, relatively wide sternum, coracoid with straight medial edge of shaft that does not incline medially, with the plane through the depth of the acrocoracoid subperpendicular to the plane of extremitas sternalis, and facies articularis clavicularis without a distinct notch in its caudal margin, humerus with distinct notch of incisura capitis in proximal outline of the bone, a weak capital shaft ridge oriented towards the tuberculum dorsale, and tuberculum dorsale elevated above caudal surface of shaft, carpometacarpus with short synostosis metacarpalis distalis, and a relatively small value of the ratio of the length of carpometacarpus to the length of phalanx proximalis digiti majoris, os carpi ulnare with almost flat distal surface.