† Ornimegalonyx oteroi Arredondo, 1958

Cuban Giant Owl; Búho Gigante de Cuba

(Figure 12: E–H)

Ornimegalonyx oteroi Arredondo, 1958, El Cartero Cubano, vol.17, no.7, p.12.

Referred material. San Felipe I: Right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4804. San Felipe II: Distal end of the left tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4807.

Description. This material does not differ in its gigantic size (Fig. 12 E–H), or in characters described (see Arredondo 1958, 1976, 1982; Arredondo & Olson 1994) for the tarsometatarsus of Ornimegalonyx oteroi Arredondo, 1958 . In addition, it compares well with specimens of this species examined from other Cuban fossiliferous localities (see Appendix 1).

Measurements. Tarsometatarsus.—Total length: 166.9; proximal width: 32.7; least shaft width: 14.5; 15.3; distal width: 31.6; 34.1; width of trochlea metatarsi III: 12.2.

Comments. Remains of the Cuban Giant Owl are well known from other localities in Cuba (Arredondo 1984) since the beginning of the second half of the last century (Arredondo 1958:10). The material now treated here allows refinement of the initial identification published by Iturralde-Vinent et al. (2000).