Grouse (Aves: Phasianidae: Tetraonini) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea, and the Status of <i>Lagopus atavus</i>

From the Early Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave (Crimea), the remains of Lyrurus partium Kretzoi, 1962 and “Lagopus” atavus Jánossy, 1974 (tribe Tetraonini of the family Phasianidae; order Galliformes) are described – these are the oldest finds of the grouse group in Eurasia outside the region of Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland). The discovery of the primitive Black Grouse L. partium indicates that in the Early Pleistocene these birds were part of the savanna-like faunal associations of the Northern Black Sea region along with Otididae and Struthionidae. The origin and evolutionary history of the modern Caucasian Black Grouse T. mlokosiewiczi Taczanowski, 1875 is discussed. The complete tarsometatarsus of “Lagopus” atavus from the Taurida Cave indicates a separate generic status of this poorly studied Plio-Pleistocene form, which in this work is allocated to the genus Paralyra gen. nov. Thus, the presence of ptarmigans (genus Lagopus) in the pre-glacial Plio-Pleistocene faunas of Eastern Europe is not confirmed.