Ornimegalonyx, Arredondo, 1958

Suárez, William, 2020, The fossil avifauna of the tar seeps Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, Cuba, Zootaxa 4780 (1), pp. 1-53 : 32

† Ornimegalonyx sp.

( Figure 12 : I–J)

Referred material. San Felipe II: Proximal half of right femur, MNHNCu 75.4714; distal half of fragmentary left femur, MNHNCu 75.4715; proximal fragment of right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4716; distal fragment of right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4717.

Description. Differs from specimens of Ornimegalonyx oteroi present in this deposit, and from other fossil localities, by its smaller size. The elongated shaft of the tarsometatarsus in the genus Ornimegalonyx (see Arredondo & Olson 1994, fig. 1) separates it from Bubo osvaldoi Arredondo & Olson, 1994 , a somewhat smaller Cuban strigid owl not identified so far from these tar seeps.

Comments. Remains of the genus Ornimegalonyx of similar size to the specimens recorded herein, are also known from eastern Cuba (Suárez unpubl. data).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Tyto cravesae: Left tarsometatarsus (Paratype, MNHNCu 75.4801) in anterior (A) and distal (B) views. Pulsatrix arredondoi: Left tarsometatarsus (MNHNCu 75.4808) in anterior (C) and proximal (D) views. Ornimegalonyx oteroi: Right tarsometatarsus (MNHNCu 75.4804) in anterior (E), proximal (F), distal (G) and posterior (H) views. Ornimegalonyx sp.: Right femur (MNHNCu 75.4714) in proximal (I) and anterior (J) views. Scale = 2 cm.