Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:30:27.668Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fossil avian eggs from the Palaeogene of southern France: new size estimates and a possible taxonomic identification of the egg-layer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2014

D. ANGST ,
E. BUFFETAUT ,
C. LÉCUYER ,
R. AMIOT ,
F. SMEKTALA ,
S. GINER ,
A. MÉCHIN ,
P. MÉCHIN ,
A. AMOROS  and
L. LEROY
...Show all authors
D. ANGST*
Affiliation:
CNRS, UMR 5276, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
E. BUFFETAUT
Affiliation:
CNRS, UMR 8538, Laboratoire de Géologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
C. LÉCUYER
Affiliation:
CNRS, UMR 5276, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France Also at Institut Universitaire de France
R. AMIOT
Affiliation:
CNRS, UMR 5276, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
F. SMEKTALA
Affiliation:
GEORS, Diamoco Company, France
S. GINER
Affiliation:
Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Toulon et du Var, Toulon, France
A. MÉCHIN
Affiliation:
Vitrolles 13127, France
P. MÉCHIN
Affiliation:
Vitrolles 13127, France
A. AMOROS
Affiliation:
Pourcieux 83470, France
L. LEROY
Affiliation:
Taloire 04120, Castellane, France
M. GUIOMAR
Affiliation:
Le moulin, 04420 La Javie, France
H. TONG
Affiliation:
Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Maha Sarakham University, Thailand
A. MARTINEZ
Affiliation:
Chemin St Estève, 11200 Lézignan-Corbières, France
*
†Author for correspondence: angst.delphine@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Eggshell fragments attributed to large birds have been known from the Palaeogene of southern France for half a century, but reconstructing their original dimensions and identifying the birds that laid the eggs has been fraught with difficulties. On the basis of numerous newly collected specimens and using geometrical calculations, the original size of the thick-shelled eggs is reconstructed, showing that they were slightly larger than ostrich eggs, with a greatest length of 17.8 cm and a mean diameter of 12.0 cm in transversal section. The estimated volume is 1330.4 cm3. The fossil eggs from southern France are thus among the largest known avian eggs, being only surpassed by Aepyornis and some moas. Estimated egg mass is about 1.4 kg. On the basis of egg mass, the body mass of the parent bird is estimated at between 135.4 kg and 156.4 kg, assuming that the hatchlings were precocial. These calculations are in good agreement with the dimensions and mass estimates for the Palaeogene giant bird Gastornis, a probable anseriform, which lived in Europe at the time the eggs were laid. Other large Early Tertiary birds from Europe (Remiornis, Palaeotis) are too small to have laid these eggs. In all likelihood, the large eggs from the Palaeogene of southern France were laid by gastornithid birds.

Keywords

eggsAvesPalaeogeneFrancesize estimatesGastornis
Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 152 , Issue 1 , January 2015 , pp. 70 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amadon, D. 1947. An estimated weight of the largest known bird. The Condor 49, 159–64.Google Scholar
Andors, A. V. 1992. Reappraisal of the Eocene groundbird Diatryma (Aves: Anserimorphae). In Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb (eds K. E. Campbell), pp. 109–25. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Country Science Series 36.Google Scholar
Angst, D. & Buffetaut, E. 2013. The first mandible of Gastornis HÉBERT, 1855 (Aves, Gastornithidae) from the Thanetian (Paleocene) of Mont-de-Berru (France). In Fossiles, Evolution, Mouvement. Quatrième symposium «Georges Cuvier», 8–12 Octobre 2012 (eds T. Malvesy, E. Buffetaut, J.-M. Mazin, A. Blieck, D. Becker & A. Berthoz). Revue de Paléobiologie 32, 423–32.Google Scholar
Ar, A., Paganelli, C. V, Reeves, R. B, Greene, D. G. & Rahn, H. 1974. The avian egg: water vapor conductance, shell thickness, and functional pore area. The Condor 76, 153–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berg, D. 1965. Nachweis des Riesenlaufvogels Diatryma im Eozän von Messel bei Darmstadt/Hessen. Notizblatt des hessischen Landesamtes fur Bodenforschung 93, 68–72.Google Scholar
Buffetaut, E. 1997. New remains of the giant bird Gastornis from the Upper Paleocene of the eastern Paris Basin and the relationships between Gastornis and Diatryma . Neues Jahrbuch für Geologies und Paläontologie Monatshefte 3, 179–90.Google Scholar
Buffetaut, E. 2008. First evidence of the giant bird Gastornis from southern Europe: a tibiotarsus from the Lower Eocene of Saint-Papoul (Aude, southern France). Oryctos 7, 75–82.Google Scholar
Campbell, K. E. Jr & Marcus, L. 1992. The relationship of hindlimb bone dimensions to body weight in birds. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series 36, 395–412.Google Scholar
Cojan, I., Moreau, M.-G. & Stott, L. E. 2000. Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Paleogene pedogenic series of southern France as a basic for continental-marine correlation. Geology 28, 259–62.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donaire, M. & Lopez-Martinez, N. 2009. Porosity of Late Paleocene Ornitholithus eggshells (Tremp Fm, south-central Pyrenees, Spain): paleoclimatic implications. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 279, 147–59.Google Scholar
Dughi, R., Plaziat, J.-C. & Sirugue, F. 1969. La répartition stratigraphique des œufs d’oiseaux du groupe d’Ornitholithus arcuatus D. et S. par rapport aux faunes d’eau douce et marines du Sparnacien et du Thanétien de l’Aude. Compte rendus sommaire des séances de la Société Géologique de France 1, 9–11.Google Scholar
Dughi, R. & Sirugue, F. 1959. Sur les fragments de coquilles d’œufs fossiles de l’Eocène de Basse-Provence. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences 249, 959–61.Google Scholar
Dughi, R. & Sirugue, F. 1962. Distribution verticale des œufs d’oiseaux fossiles de l’Eocène de Basse-Provence. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 4, 69–78.Google Scholar
Dughi, R. & Sirugue, , , F. 1968. Marnes à œufs d’Oiseaux du Paléocène de Basse-Provence. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 10, 542–8.Google Scholar
Dyke, G. J. & Kaiser, G. W. 2010. Cracking a developmental constraint: egg size and bird evolution. Records of the Australian Museum 62, 207–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fabre-Taxy, S. & Touraine, F. 1960. Gisements d’œufs d’Oiseaux de très grande taille dans l’Eocène de Provence. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences 250, 3870–1.Google Scholar
Fischer, K. 1978. Neue Reste des Riesenlaufvogels Diatryma aus dem Eozän des Geisentales bei Halle (DDR). Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 54 (Suppl Ann Ornithol), 133–44.Google Scholar
Gill, B. J. 2000. Morphometrics of moa eggshell fragments (Aves: Dinornithiformes) from Late Holocene dune-sands of the Karikari Peninsula, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 30, 131–145.Google Scholar
Gill, B. J. 2006. A catalogue of moa eggs (Aves: Dinornithiformes). Records of the Auckland Museum 43, 55–80.Google Scholar
Gill, B. J. 2007. Eggshell characteristics of moa eggs (Aves: Dinornithiformes). Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 37, 139–50.Google Scholar
Hébert, E. 1855 a. Note sur le tibia du Gastornis parisiensis . Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences 40, 579–82.Google Scholar
Hébert, E. 1855 b. Note sur le fémur du Gastornis parisiensis . Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences 40, 1214–7.Google Scholar
Houde, P. W. & Haubold, H. 1987. Palaeotis weigelti restudied: a small Middle Eocene Ostrich (Aves: Struthioniformes). Paleovertebrata 17, 27–42.Google Scholar
Hoyt, D. F. 1979. Practical methods of estimating volume and fresh weight of bird eggs. The Auk 96, 73–7.Google Scholar
Kerourio, P. & Aujard, , , C. 1987. Les œufs d’oiseaux géants du Midi de la France. Monde et Minéraux 78, 12–6.Google Scholar
Kohring, R. & Hirsch, K. F. 1996. Crocodilian and avian eggshells from the Middle Eocene of the Geiseltal, eastern Germany. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 16, 67–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambrecht, K. 1928. Palaeotis weigelti n.g. n.s., eine fossile Trappe aus der mitteleozänen Braunkohle des Geiseltales. Jahrbuch des Halleschen Verbandes für die Erforschung der mitteldeutschen Bodenschätze und ihrer Verwertung, Neue Folge 7, 20–9.Google Scholar
Laurent, Y., Adnet, S., Bourdon, E., Corbalan, D., Danilo, L., Duffaud, S., Fleury, G., Garcia, G., Godinot, M., Le Roux, G., Maisonnave, C., Métais, G., Mourer-Chauviré, C., Presseq, B., Sigé, B. & Solé, F. 2010. La Borie (Saint-Papoul, Aude): un gisement exceptionnel dans l’Eocène basal du Sud de la France. Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle de Toulouse 146, 89–103.Google Scholar
Lemoine, V. 1878. Recherches sur les oiseaux fossiles des terrains tertiaires inférieurs des environs de Reims. Keller, 69 pp.Google Scholar
Lemoine, V. 1881. Recherches sur les oiseaux fossiles des terrains tertiaires inférieurs des environs de Reims. Deuxième partie. Matot-Braine, pp. 75–170.Google Scholar
Lemoine, V. 1884. Note sur le Gastornis . Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 12, 357.Google Scholar
Martin, L. D. 1992. The status of the late Paleocene birds Gastornis and Remiornis . In Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb (eds Campbell, K. E.), pp. 97–108. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Country Science Series 36.Google Scholar
Martini, E. 1961. Neue Funde von fossilen Eiern in der Provence – Gelege von Straussenvögeln aus dem Alttertiär? Umschau 10, 311–2.Google Scholar
Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer, 262 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikhailov, K. E. 1997. Fossil and recent eggshell in amniotic vertebrates: fine structure, comparative morphology and classification. Special Papers in Palaeontology 56, 1–80.Google Scholar
Mlikovsky, J. 2003. Eggs of extinct aepyornithids (Aves: Aepyornithidae) of Madagascar: size and taxonomic identity. Sylvia 39, 133–8.Google Scholar
Murray, P. F. & Vickers-Rich, , , P. 2004. Magnificent Mihirungs – The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime. Indiana University Press, 416 pp.Google Scholar
Penner, M. N. 1983. Contribution à l’étude de la microstructure des coquilles d’œufs de dinosaures du Crétacé supérieur dans le bassin d’Aix-en-Provence: application biostratigraphique. Mémoires des Sciences de la Terre Université Pierre et Marie Curie 83–52, 1–234.Google Scholar
Rahn, H. & Ar, A. 1974. The avian egg: incubation time and water loss. The Condor 76, 147–52.Google Scholar
Rahn, H., Paganelli, C. V. & Ar, A. 1975. Relation of avian egg weight to body weight. The Auk 92, 750–65.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1960. Œufs d’Oiseaux de très grande taille dans l’Eocène inférieur de Provence. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 2, 783–9.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1961. Les œufs d’Oiseaux éocènes et la stratigraphie du Cengle (Bouches-du-Rhône). Compte rendus sommaire des séances de la Société géologique de France, pp. 90–1.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1962. Le synclinal danien-éocène de la Mourotte (Var). Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 4, 87–91.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1963. Quelques précisions nouvelles sur la série fluvio-lacustre de Sillans (Var). Compte rendus sommaire des séances de la Société géologique de France, p. 167.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1967. Les rapports de l’Oligocène avec les structures N-S du Nord-Varois. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 7, 530–6.Google Scholar
Touraine, F. 1978. Le fossé de Montmeyan (Var). Bulletin du BRGM 1, 89–109.Google Scholar
Williams, D. L. G. 1981. Genyornis eggshell (Dromornithidae; Aves) from the Late Pleistocene of South Australia. Alcheringa 5, 133–40.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Angst Supplementary Material

Tables

Download Angst Supplementary Material(File)
File 572.4 KB