Tetrao Linnaeus 1758

Tetrao Linnaeus, 1758 † Tetrao praeurogallus Jánossy, 1969 / † T. conjugens Jánossy, 1974 / † T. macropus Jánossy, 1976a Location and age: Beremend 38; Lower Pliocene (MN16). Material: 1 distal left humerus (Figure 2 /6). Dimensions (in mm): humerus: E—10.5, F—18.5, G—10.2. Description: In his original diagnosis (Jánossy 1969), Dénes Jánossy described the morphological difference between fossil and modern species only in the proximal epiphysis. The dimensions suggest that the fossil from Beremend may be from a hen. Previous records of the taxon—sites and their age: MN15—Csarnóta 2 (Jánossy 1976a, 1979a; Kessler 2009a); Beremend 26 (Kessler 2009a); Q1—Osztramos 7 (Jánossy 1973, 1976a, 1979a); Q2—Méhész 1 (Kretzoi 1975; Jánossy 1976a, 1979a); Nagyharsányhegy 1–4 (Lambrecht 1916, 1933; Jánossy 1976a, 1979a); Q3/I—Hundsheim (Jánossy 1971, 1974, 1976a); Tarkő 10 (Jánossy 1976a, 1979a). The earliest European presence of the capercaillie is known from the Early Pliocene at Dorkovo in Bulgaria (MN 14) (Boev 1998), followed by the sites Csarnóta and Beremend in Hungary, and the sites Weze in the Vistula in Poland (MN 15) and Rebielice Królowskie, Ostramos 7 (MN 16) of similar age (Jánossy 1976b; Bocheński 1989; Mlíkovskỳ 2002; Kessler 2009a). Comparative material: fossil: Tetrao praeurogallus Jánossy, 1969 (V.10.374); recent: Tetrao urogallus (58.37.1). This material is not catalogued, it belongs to the Chapel of Reconciliation in Beremend and will be catalogued in their collection.