A stem falconid bird from the Lower Eocene of Antarctica and the early southern radiation of the falcons

Abstract

Antarctoboenus carlinii nov. gen. nov. sp. is a large-sized falconiform bird from the La Meseta Formation (Lower Eocene) at Seymour (Marambio) Island, West Antarctica. The holotypical tarsometatarsus was originally assigned to Falconidae and its affinities to Polyborinae were pointed out. Detailed osteological and comparative analyses of the Antarctic specimen allowed recognition of the new taxon as a member of stem group Falconidae, i.e. it is supposed to belong to the early radiation of the falconiform lineage. Antarctoboenus carlinii is distinguished from members of crown group Falconidae by having a very shallow sulcus extensorius, a large foramen vasculare distale, an undistinguishable tendinal attachment for the m. adductor digiti II, and short trochlea metatarsi II, among its main diagnostic characters. Purported phylogenetic relationships between A. carlinii and Polyborinae are based on plesiomorphic characters retained in the tarsometatarsus of the latter clade. Our conclusions reinforce the hypothesis about the Neotropical or Austral origin of Falconidae supported by previous molecular phylogenies.