Galbula hylochoreutes
Encyclopedia
Galbula hylochoreutes is an extinct species of jacamar
, small birds of the order of Coraciiformes
. It was discovered in the geological formation La Victoria, in the fossil deposit at La Venta
in modern Colombia
, in deposits dating from the mid-Miocene
period (13 to 11 million years), described from one end of right humerus
. Despite the poor of this record, it has distinctive features that permit the classification as a distinct species
: the head of the humerus is larger than the modern jacamars (Galbula
), so its overall size would also somewhat higher, the tubercle of the head is robust and the insertion of the humeral-scapular-caudal muscle
is very large, indicating a strong development of the muscles of his chest and arms, giving great aerobatic skills, so similar to the birds of the family Tyrannidae (tyrant, flycatchers, earwigs) and Meropidae (bee-eaters), which led to their scientific name of G. hylochoreutes, which in Greek
means "dancer of the forests", referring to the jungle environment in which the bird would have lived. His general appearance would have been similar to the paradise jacamar, Galbula dea.
Jacamar
The jacamars are a family, Galbulidae, of near passerine birds from tropical South and Central America, extending up to Mexico. The order contains five genera and 18 species...
, small birds of the order of Coraciiformes
Coraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. It was discovered in the geological formation La Victoria, in the fossil deposit at La Venta
La Venta (Colombia)
La Venta is a settlement between the modern Tolima Department and Huila Department, Colombia. Nearby, one of the richest Neogene fossil assemblages in the whole of South America is known...
in modern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, in deposits dating from the mid-Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
period (13 to 11 million years), described from one end of right humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
. Despite the poor of this record, it has distinctive features that permit the classification as a distinct species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
: the head of the humerus is larger than the modern jacamars (Galbula
Galbula
Galbula is a genus of bird in the Galbulidae family.It contains the following species:* Yellow-billed Jacamar, Galbula albirostris Latham, 1790* Purplish Jacamar, Galbula chalcothorax P. L...
), so its overall size would also somewhat higher, the tubercle of the head is robust and the insertion of the humeral-scapular-caudal muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
is very large, indicating a strong development of the muscles of his chest and arms, giving great aerobatic skills, so similar to the birds of the family Tyrannidae (tyrant, flycatchers, earwigs) and Meropidae (bee-eaters), which led to their scientific name of G. hylochoreutes, which in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
means "dancer of the forests", referring to the jungle environment in which the bird would have lived. His general appearance would have been similar to the paradise jacamar, Galbula dea.