Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769)

Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile & Geraads, Denis, 2010, The Upper Pliocene Avifauna of Ahl al Oughlam, Morocco. Systematics and Biogeography, Records of the Australian Museum 62 (1), pp. 157-184 : 179

Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769)

Fig. 5T

Material. Left ulna, distal part and shaft, AaO-801; distal part, AaO-850; right radii, distal parts, AaO-802, 803; right carpometacarpus, distal part, AaO-805; left carpometacarpi, proximal part, AaO-806, distal part, AaO-4797; right femora, shaft, AaO-804, distal part, AaO-807; right tibiotarsi, distal part and shaft, AaO-4799; left tibiotarsi, distal parts, AaO-808, 809, 810; right tarsometatarsi, proximal part, AaO-813, distal parts, AaO-849 (juvenile), 4803; left tarsometatarsi, proximal part, AaO-2699, distal part, AaO-812, shaft AaO-811.

The dimensions of the Ahl al Oughlam Barn Owl are slightly larger than the maximal values for a population of Recent Tyto alba alba and T. alba guttata ( Louchart, 2002) but there are a large number of subspecies with strong size variation. The Recent species Tyto alba has been reported in the Middle Miocene ( MN 7, Mein 1990) of Beni Mellal in Morocco ( Brunet, 1971) but it is only represented by an alar phalange ( Brunet, 1961). It cannot be excluded that this phalange could have belonged to an earlier species of the genus Tyto , as for example Tyto sanctialbani , the dimensions of which are similar to those of the Recent Tyto alba ( Lydekker, 1893) . Apart from this reference, the oldest mention of the presence of Tyto alba is from the locality of Olduvai, Bed I, dating between 1.85 and 1.70 Ma (Brodkorb & Mourer-Chauviré, 1984a).

Figures

Figure 5. Otis sp. size Otis tarda, A–B: (A) right ulna, proximal part, AaO-766, cranial view: (B) right ulna, distal part, AaO-767, ventral view.Chlamydotis sp. cf. C. mesetaria, C–E: (C) right tarsometatarsus, proximal part and shaft,AaO-2644, caudal view; (D) idem, cranial view; (E) idem, proximal view. cf. Lophotis sp., F–G: (F) right coracoid, almost complete,AaO-768, dorsal view; (G) idem, ventral view. (H) Columba sp. cf. C. pisana, right humerus, distal part and shaft,AaO-2672, cranial view. (I) Catharacta sp. cf. C. skua, right humerus, distal part and shaft, AaO-4793, cranial view. … [caption continued on facing page]