The avifauna in North Hungary during the Miocene. Part I.

Abstract

In this paper, the authors present the avian remains found at the Miocene sites in North Hungary, from Anseriformes
to Passeriformes. They give a summary of the details which have been published up to now with respect to recently
identified and revised remains from the following ten sites: Ipolytarnóc and Litke 2 (Early Miocene, MN 3, MN 4 and 5),
Mátraszőlős 1, 2 and 3; Felsőtárkány–Felnémet 2/3, 2/7 and Felsőtárkány 1, 2, 3/2, (Middle Miocene, MN 7/8),
Felsőtárkány 3/8, 3/10, Egerszólát, Ádám Valley and Rudabánya (Late Miocene, MN 9); Rátka (Late Miocene MN 12
respectively MN 13). From this region, so far KORDOS (1985, 1987), JÁNOSSY (1991), GÁL, HÍR and KESSLER (2001 2009a,
b, 2010) have published their results concerning the avian remains from Ipolytarnóc, Rudabánya, Mátraszőlős 1, 2 and 3,
as well as Felsőtárkány, Litke 2 and Rátka. Earlier publications dealing with the remains have been recently revised.
Furthermore, recently excavated bones from Felsőtárkány–Felnémet and Egerszólát have also been identified.
When summarising the acquired data, it became apparent that the Miocene avifauna of the region includes 13 orders,
20 families (one of them extinct), 27 genera (11 extinct) and 24 extinct species. Nine of these species have been
recognized in the Carpathian Basin. Eighteen taxa could be identified only to the level of class, order (1), family (7) and
genus (9), and 4 ichnotaxa (from Ipolytarnóc).
The most recently identified remains, which are presented in this paper, include 8 orders, 15 families, 8 genera (three of
them extinct), and 6 extinct species. From these, one genus and 17 species represent a new taxa to the science. Seven taxa could
be identified only to the level of family (5) and genus (2). The new species to the science are presented below.
The aforementioned, recently identified new fossil genera and species have been described according to the following
characteristics (for the abbrevations see the chapter entitled “Rövidítések”):