title: The extreme insular adaptation ofGarganornis ballmanniMeijer, 2014: a giant Anseriformes of the Neogene of the Mediterranean Basin.
abstract: New skeletal elements of the recently described endemic giant anseriformGarganornis ballmanniMeijer, 2014 are presented, coming from the type-area of the Gargano and from Scontrone, southern and central Italy, respectively. The new remains represent the first bird remains found at Scontrone so far, and another shared element between these two localities, both part of the Apulia-Abruzzi Palaeobioprovince. The presence of a very reduced carpometacarpus confirms its flightlessness, only previously supposed on the basis of the very large size, while the morphologies of tarsometatarsus and posterior phalanges clearly indicate the adaptation ofG. ballmannito a terrestrial, non-aquatic, lifestyle. Its very large body size is similar to that observed in different, heavily modified, insular waterfowl and has been normally interpreted as the response to the absence of terrestrial predators and a protection from the aerial ones. The presence of a carpal knob in the proximal carpometacarpus also indicates a fighting behaviour for this large terrestrial bird species.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia , Università degli Studi di Torino , Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5188-4155
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavia
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural History, University Museum, University of Bergen , Postboks 7800, 5007 Bergen , Norway.
authors.forename: Hanneke J M
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.affiliation: Soprintendenza archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio dell'Abruzzo , Via degli Agostiniani 14, 66100 Chieti , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Adelaide
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Paleontology , Natural History Museum Vienna , Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Ursula B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Göhlich
keywords: Anseriformes; Italy; Miocene; flightlessness; fossil bird; insular gigantism