Tetrao Linnaeus, 1758

Tetrao Linnaeus, 1758 View in CoL

† Tetrao praeurogallus Jánossy, 1969 / † T. conjugens Jánossy, 1974 / † T. macropus Jánossy, 1976a

Location and age: Beremend 38; Lower Pliocene (MN16).

Material: 1 distal left humerus ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 /6).

Dimensions (in mm): humerus: E—10.5, F—18.5, G—10.2.

Description: In his original diagnosis ( Jánossy 1969), Dénes Jánossy described the morphological difference between fossil and modern species only in the proximal epiphysis. The dimensions suggest that the fossil from Beremend may be from a hen.

Previous records of the taxon—sites and their age: MN15—Csarnóta 2 ( Jánossy 1976a, 1979a; Kessler 2009a); Beremend 26 ( Kessler 2009a); Q1—Osztramos 7 ( Jánossy 1973, 1976a, 1979a); Q2—Méhész 1 (Kretzoi 1975; Jánossy 1976a, 1979a); Nagyharsányhegy 1–4 ( Lambrecht 1916, 1933; Jánossy 1976a, 1979a); Q3/I—Hundsheim ( Jánossy 1971, 1974, 1976a); Tarkő 10 ( Jánossy 1976a, 1979a).

The earliest European presence of the capercaillie is known from the Early Pliocene at Dorkovo in Bulgaria ( MN 14) ( Boev 1998), followed by the sites Csarnóta and Beremend in Hungary, and the sites Weze in the Vistula in Poland ( MN 15) and Rebielice Królowskie, Ostramos 7 ( MN 16) of similar age ( Jánossy 1976b; Bocheński 1989; Mlíkovskỳ 2002; Kessler 2009a).

Comparative material: fossil: Tetrao praeurogallus Jánossy, 1969 ( V.10.374); recent: Tetrao urogallus (58.37.1).

This material is not catalogued, it belongs to the Chapel of Reconciliation in Beremend and will be catalogued in their collection.