Australian Museum Journal A revision of C.W. De Vis’ fossil cormorants (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae). In Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, ed. W.E. Boles and T.H. Worthy

Shortform:

Boles, 2010, Rec. Aust. Mus. 62(1): 145–155

Author(s):

Boles, Walter E.

Year published:

2010

Title:

A revision of C.W. De Vis’ fossil cormorants (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae). In Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, ed. W.E. Boles and T.H. Worthy

Serial title:

Records of the Australian Museum

Volume:

62

Issue:

1

Start page:

145

End page:

155

DOI:

10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1533

Language:

English

Date published:

26 May 2010

Cover date:

26 May 2010

ISSN:

0067-1975

CODEN:

RAUMAJ

Publisher:

The Australian Museum

Place published:

Sydney, Australia

Subjects:

AVES; PALAEONTOLOGY; FOSSIL

Reference number:

1533

EndNote package:

EndNote file

Title page:

Title page (43kb PDF)

Complete work:

Complete work (362kb PDF)

Abstract

C.W. De Vis named two species of fossil cormorant, Phalacrocorax gregorii and P. vetustus, from Pleistocene deposits at Cooper Creek and Warburton River, Australia, based on specimens mainly collected by J.W. Gregory in 1901–1902. The material of each nominal species consists of extensive, syntypic series of mixed elements. It was subsequently regarded that each series comprised specimens from several living species. One of these species, P. fuscescens, is an exclusively marine species, raising questions about its purported presence in central Australian deposits. Re-examination of the fossil material confirms that all specimens complete enough for identification can be referred to either of two living species, P. carbo or P. varius, or occasionally the Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae. There is no unequivocal evidence of the occurrence of P. fuscescens. Selections of lectotypes are made to synonymize P. gregorii with P. carbo and P. vetustus with P. varius.