SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
First definitive fossil evidence for the extant avian radiation in the Cretaceous
Clarke et al., 2004
I. The other half of the Vegavis iaai concretion (MLP 93-I-3-1). Photograph (main) and volume
renderings (upper right) using CT data, highlighting the bone and rendering the matrix semi-transparent to
elements preserved within the block. Anatomical abbreviations: cv, cervical vertebra; f, femur; fb, fibula; h,
humerus; ish, ischium; rb, rib(s); tm, tarsometatarsus; tv, thoracic vertebrae. Other elements not considered
sufficiently well preserved for confident identification and additional ribs are not labeled. Area of
articulation with pelvis in primary block is demarcated by the highlighted square (see CT data).
II. Latex peel of the primary block of the Vegavis iaai concretion (MLP 93-I-3-1) prior to original
preparation. Anatomical abbreviations: c, coracoid; f, femur; h, humerus; pv, pelvis posterior to
ilioischiadic fenestra; r, radius; t, tibiotarsus.
III. Characters able to be evaluated for Vegavis of the analyzed datasets and the states present in that
taxon (entries take the form “character number: character state”).
Clarke and Norell Dataset (19:Appendix 2): 52:2, 55: 1, 56:0, 57:1, 58:1, 61:5/6, 62:2, 83:1, 84:0, 85:1,
86:1, 87:0, 88:1, 89:0, 90:0, 92:1, 94:1, 95:1, 96:0, 97:0, 98:1, 99:1, 101:1, 106:1, 107:1, 108:1, 110:0,
111:1,112:1, 113:0, 117:0, 118:0, 119:1, 120:0, 121:0, 122:0, 123:0, 124:1, 125:0, 127:1, 128:1, 135:1,
153:2, 154:1, 157:1, 159:1 163:0, 164:1, 165:1, 166:1, 169:1, 170:2, 171:1, 172:1, 177:2, 178:1, 180:2,
182:1, 183:0, 184:0, 185:2, 186:1, 188:3, 189:1, 190:1, 191:1, 192:2 193:1/2, 202:2.
Mayr and Clarke Dataset(20:Appendix A): 57:1, 65:0, 66:0, 67:0, 68:0, 75:0, 76:0, 78:1, 79:1, 80:0,
81:1, 90:0, 91:2/3, 93:0, 94:1, 95:0, 97:0, 103:1, 104:0, 105:0, 106:0, 108:0.
Livezey dataset(16:Appendix 1, Livezey, 1998): 59:c, 69:a, 70:a, 72:a, 78:b, 79:a, 82:b, 89:a, 90:a, 92:a, 94:b.
Two changes were made relative to the original analyses: non-galloanserine taxa included in Ref. 16 were
removed as Vegavis’ relationship to other neoavian taxa was investigated with the larger Ref. 20 dataset. In
the Ref. 20 dataset, scoring for character 78 was changed for Anatidae (to 1) based on observation of MLP
Anatidae material (e.g., of Anas platalea, Amazonetta brasiliensis, and Chloephaga melanoptera), although
this character and proposed states may need additional revision.
The corrected version of the Ref. 16 matrix (see Livezey, 1998) was used in analysis.
IV. Measurements of the Vegavis iaai holotype specimen (MLP 93-I-3-1) and additional differential
diagnosis from Presbyornithidae.
Vegavis iaai relative to presbyornithids: The sacrum has at least fourteen vertebrae (thirteen in Telmabates
and Presbyornis; Ref. 17, contra Ref. 15). The femoral trochanteric crest in Vegavis is conspicuously less
projected than in Presbyornis and Telmabates and the patellar groove, deeper. The Vegavis fibular crest also
begins distal to its position in Presbyornis. Relative proportions of humerus, sacrum, femur, and tibiotarsus
also differ; in Vegavis iaai, the sacrum is definitively longer than the femur, and the humerus and tibiotarsus
are of equal length. By contrast, in Presbyornis the sacrum is much shorter, approximating the length of the
femur, and the humerus is markedly shorter than the tibiotarsus. Measurements are given in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Measurements (mm) of Vegavis iaai MLP 93-I-3-1 and Presbyornithidae.
Vegavis iaai
Presbyornis
pervetus1
CORACOID
Total length
35.6
37.84
Width of neck
5.5
6.68
Distal width
19.2
17.59
HUMERUS
Total length
124
105.33 / 107.22
Proximal width
21,5
20.56
Shaft width at mp 6
6.26
Distal width
12
13.43
RADIUS
Total length
95.64
SACRUM
Total length
85
48.93
FEMUR
Total length
~50
50.49
Proximal ant/post
dimension (max)
9
7.12
Distal width
12.05
8.73
TIBIOTARSUS
Total length
124
124.46
Width at mp
6.4
4.98
Distal width
11.1
10.68
TARSOMETATARSUS
Total length
78 (min.)
102.4
Telmabates
antiquus1
43.053
9.27
27.3
141 / 140.83
26.7 / 25.53
7.53
16.97 / 16.53
~1303
73 / 63.83
~693
9.6
8.7
5.9
11.4
~1053
1
after Ref. 17 except where indicated: 2 after Feduccia and McGrew, (1974); 3 after Howard (1955).
V. Details of the provenience of the Vegavis iaai holotype specimen:
The Vegavis iaai holotype specimen was collected in situ by geologists D. R. Martinioni and F. J.
Mussel at the IAA locality VEG9303 of Ref. 15 (referred to as “Locality B” with the coordinates S 63°52´
14; W 57° 34´ 28 in Césari et al. [2001]). It was found in deposits originally described using the terminology
of Pirrie et al. (1991) and Olivero et al. (1992) as belonging to Cretaceous Cape Lamb informal
lithostratigraphic unit, “Unit B” (Ref. 15). Although the Cretaceous age of these deposits has not been
questioned, they have been differently named. These issues were most recently reviewed by Marennsi et al.
(Ref. 21).
Pirrie et al. (1991) described three informal units named A, B, and C from the Cape Lamb
sedimentary section and later recognized three formal units: Herbert Sound Member of the Santa Marta
Formation; Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation; and Sandwich Bluff Member of the
López de Bertodano Formation (Pirrie et al., 1997). Because the type localities of these formal units (Pirrie et
al., 1997) were defined outside of the Cape Lamb area (Césari et al., 2001), other authors have followed a
recent comprehensive study by Marenssi et al. (Ref. 21) who described the Cretaceous section using three
informal units, K1, K2 and K3 with local type sections. The Vegavis holotype locality is of K3 deposits (Ref.
21 and Césari et al., 2001) following this terminology.
Detailed studies of dinocysts (e.g., Pirrie et al., 1991) and the ammonite fauna (Olivero et al., 1992;
Olivero & Medina, 2000) have been used in the age estimates of these the Cape Lamb deposits. Based on
these data, K1 and K2 are earliest Maastrichtian in age (Ref. 21) and can be assigned to faunal “Association
10” of Olivero & Medina (2000). This is supported by 87Sr/86Sr dating of a Gunnarites antarcticus faunal
assemblage from the middle part of K2, which yielded an early Maastrichtian age of 71.0 Ma (Crame et al.,
1999). Unit K3 is mid? to late Maastrichtian (Ref. 21) in age and corresponds with faunal “Association 11”
of the MG Sequence of Olivero & Medina (2000; Césari et al., 2001).
Recently a duck-billed dinosaur (Hadrosauridae) tooth (Case et al., 2000) was also described from
Cape Lamb deposits near Locality B (Césari et al., 2001). This specimen was identified to overlying Unit C
in the terminology of Pirrie et al. (1991) and Olivero et al., (1992; Case et al., 2000) and, based on other
biostratigraphic data, was considered latest Maastrichian in age (Case et al., 2000). Césari et al. (2001) place
the tooth as from the same interval as the Vegavis remains, unit K3 of Ref. 21).
Further information regarding CT data used in reanalysis of MLP 93-I-3-1, including aligned blocks
showing contacting portions of the posterior pelvis, are found at the following URL:
http://www.ctlab.geo.utexas.edu/pubs/clarke_et_al/clarke_et_al.htm
Data acquisition and post processing methods are also described on this page.
Additional References:
Case J., Martin J., Chaney D., Reguero, M., Marenssi, S., Santillana, S. & Woodburne, M. The first duckbilled dinosaur (Family Hadrosauridae) from Antarctica. J. Vertebrate Paleont. 20, 612-614 (2000).
Césari, S., Marenssi, S. & Santillana, S. Conifers from the Upper Cretaceous of Cape Lamb, Vega Island,
Antarcctica. Cretaceous Research 22, 309-319 (2001).
Crame, J. A.; McArthur, J. M.; Pirrie, D. & Riding, J. B. Strontium isotope correlation of the basal
Maastrichtian Stage in Antarctica to the European and US biostratigraphic schemes. J. Geol. Soc.
London 156, 957–964 (1999).
Feduccia, A. & McGrew, P. A flamingo-like wader from the Eocene of Wyoming. Contrib. Geol. 13, 46-61
(1974).
Howard, H. A new wading bird from the Eocene of Patagonia. Amer. Mus. Nov. 1710, 1-25 (1955).
Livezey, B. C. Erratum. Zool. J. Linnean Soc. 124, 397-398 (1998).
Olivero, E. & Medina, F.A. Patterns of late Cretaceous ammonite biogeography in southern high latitudes:
the family Kossmaticeratidae in Antarctica. Cretaceous Res. 21, 269-279 (2000).
Olivero, E. B., Martinioni, D. R. & Mussel, F. J. In Geología de la Isla James Ross (ed Rinaldi, C.) 125-145
(Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, 1992).
Pirrie, D., Crame, J. A. & Riding, J. B. Late Cretaceous stratigraphy and sedimentology of Cape Lamb, Vega
Island, Antarctica. Cretaceous Res. 12, 227–258 (1991).
Pirrie. D., Crame, J., Lomas, S.A. & Riding, J.B. Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Admiralty Sound
region, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Cretaceous Res. 18, 109-137 (1997).