Reexamination of the oldest pigeon (Aves: Columbidae) from Asia: Columba congi from the Early Pleistocene of Zhoukoudian, Beijing, China

doi:10.19615/j.cnki.1000-3118.210304

Abstract

Abstract:

Columba congi is an extinct species that was described as part of the Early Pleistocene (~1.7 Ma) fauna from locality 12 of the UNESCO Zhoukoudian or “Peking Man” site in Beijing, China. Only four partial humeri of the original type series of 11 bones can be located, and the features present in those specimens do not support the original diagnosis. However, our study and redescription shows that the straight and flat margin of the pneumotricipital fossa rim (in ventral view) and the relative distal position of the dorsal supracondylar tubercle may support the continued recognition of C. congi as a valid extinct species. Columba congi appears to be the oldest fossil of Columba in Asia, and it lived during a warmer and wetter period of time of the Pleistocene with a forested Zhoukoudian. Further study of pigeons from all localities at Zhoukoudian should help to resolve questions about pigeon biogeography and evolution, including possibly the time and center of origin of the globally distributedC. livia.

Key words: Zhoukoudian, Early Pleistocene, Columba, Columba congi, humerus

摘要：

丛氏原鸽(Columba congi)出土于周口店北京猿人遗址早更新世第12地点(~1.7 Ma)。丛氏原鸽共出土11件骨骼碎片,但是由于年代久远,仅遗存4件肱骨标本,且遗存标本的形态学特征并不支持最初的物种鉴定特征。对遗存的4件肱骨标本进行了重新描述和对比,其肱骨气窝腹侧外缘平直和背髁上突位于肱骨更远端的位置这两个特征或为作为灭绝鸽类物种的丛氏原鸽提供稳定的识别特征。丛氏原鸽是亚洲地区已知最古老的鸽属化石,推测其生存于温暖且潮湿的森林环境。对丛氏原鸽的研究或能为解决鸽属物种的古生物地理分布以及目前广泛分布的原鸽的起源等问题提供帮助。

关键词: 周口店, 早更新世, 鸽属, 丛氏原鸽, 肱骨

CLC Number:

Q915.865

SHEN Wei, Thomas A. STIDHAM, LI Zhi-Heng. Reexamination of the oldest pigeon (Aves: Columbidae) from Asia: Columba congi from the Early Pleistocene of Zhoukoudian, Beijing, China. Vertebrata Palasiatica, 2021, 59(3): 245-256.

沈韦, Thomas A. STIDHAM, 李志恒. 2021, 59(3): 245-256, 亚洲最古老鸽子(Columbidae)物种有效性再检验：北京周口店早更新世丛氏原鸽(Columba congi). 古脊椎动物学报.

Figures/Tables 3

References 36

[1]	Abbazzi L, Angelone C, Arca M et al., 2004. Plio-Pleistocene fossil vertebrates of Monte Tuttavista (Orosei, E. Sardinia, Italy), an overview. Riv Ital Paleontol S, 110:681-706
[2]	Baptista L F, Martínez-Gómez J E, Horblit H M, 2009. Darwin’s pigeons and the evolution of the columbiforms: recapitulation of ancient genes. Acta Zool Mex, 25:719-741
[3]	Baumel J J, Witmer L M, 1993. Osteologia. In: Baumel J J, King A S, Breazile J E et al. eds. Nomina Anatomica Avium, a Handbook of Avian Anatomy, 2nd ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Nuttall Ornithological Club. 45-131
[4]	Bedetti C, Pavia M, 2007. Reinterpretation of the Late Pleistocene Ingarano cave deposits based on the fossil bird associations (Apulia, South-Eastern Italy). Riv Ital Paleontol S, 113:487-507
[5]	Blasco R, Finlayson C, Rosell J et al., 2014. The earliest pigeon fanciers. Sci Rep, 4:5971 DOI PMID
[6]	Cheng J, 1997. Climate cycle indicated by mammals. Front Earth Sci, 4(2):275-279
[7]	Cheng J, Tian M Z, Cao B X et al., 1996. Newly Discovered Quaternary Mammalian Fauna and its Environmental Changes in Zhoukoudian. Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press. 1-114
[8]	Cheng J, Wang H Z, Zhang X J et al., 2002. A review of the Quaternary geology and environmental change in Zhoukoudian, Beijing. J Geomechan, 8(4):347-353
[9]	Gibbs D, Barnes E, Cox J, 2001. Pigeons and Doves: a Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. London: A&C Black. 1-560
[10]	Gill F, Donsker D, Rasmussen P, 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2), doi: 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2
[11]	Goodwin D, Gillmor R, 1983. Pigeons and Doves of the World. London: British Museum (Natural History). 1-363
[12]	Hou L H, 1982. Avian fossils in Zhoukoudian. Vert PalAsiat, 20(4):366-368
[13]	Hou L H, 1993. Avian fossils of Pleistocene from Zhoukoudian. Mem Inst Vert Paleontol Paleoanthropol Acad Sin, 19:165-297
[14]	Huang W B, 1960. Brief description of the deposition in Zhoukoudian. Chinese J Geol, 3:85-90
[15]	Hume J P, 2011. Systematics, morphology, and ecology of pigeons and doves (Aves: Columbidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with three new species. Zootaxa, 3124:1-62 DOI URL
[16]	Johnson K P, Kort S D, Dinwoodey K et al., 2001. A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba. Auk, 118(4):874-887 DOI URL
[17]	Jones M E H, Button D J, Barrett P M et al., 2019. Digital dissection of the head of the rock dove (Columba livia) using contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Zool Lett, 5:17 DOI PMID
[18]	Li F, Bae C J, Ramsey C B et al., 2018. Re-dating Zhoukoudian Upper Cave, northern China and its regional significance. J Hum Evol, 121:170-177 DOI URL
[19]	Li Z H, Stidham T A, Deng T et al., 2020. Evidence of Late Miocene peri-Tibetan aridification from the oldest Asian species of sandgrouse (Aves: Pteroclidae). Front Ecol Evol, 8:59 DOI URL
[20]	MacKinnon J, Phillipps K, 2000. A Field Guide to the Birds of China. London: Oxford Press. 1-586
[21]	Martynovich N, 2002. Pleistocene birds from Tsagan-Agui Cave (Gobian Altai). Acta Zool Cracov, 45:283-292
[22]	Pavia M, 1999. The Middle Pleistocene avifauna of the Spinagallo Cave (Sicily, Italy): preliminary report. Smithson Contrib Paleobiol, 89:125-127
[23]	Petronio C, Bellardini F, Arzarello M et al., 2008. The deposit of the Late Pleistocene from Avetrana (Taranto, Southern Italy): biochronology and palaeoecology. Il Quaternario, 21(2):409-422
[24]	Rich P V, Hou L H, Ono K et al., 1986. A review of the fossil birds of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Geobios, 19:755-772 DOI URL
[25]	Sardella R, Bedetti C, Bellucci L et al., 2005. The Late Pleistocene vertebrate fauna from Avetrana (Taranto, Apulia, Southern Italy): preliminary report. Geol Alp, 2:25-29
[26]	Schepelmann K, 1990. Erythropoietic bone marrow in the pigeon: development of its distribution and volume during growth and pneumatization of bones. J Morph, 203(1):21-34 DOI URL
[27]	Shapiro B, Sibthorpe D, Rambaut A et al., 2002. Flight of the dodo. Science, 295:1683 PMID
[28]	Shapiro M D, Domyan E T, 2013. Domestic pigeons. Curr Biol, 23(8):R302-R303 DOI URL
[29]	Shapiro M D, Kronenberg Z, Li C et al., 2013. Genomic diversity and evolution of the head crest in the rock pigeon. Science, 339:1063-1067 DOI URL
[30]	Soares A E R, Novak B J, Haile J et al., 2016. Complete mitochondrial genomes of living and extinct pigeons revise the timing of the columbiform radiation. BMC Evol Biol, 16:230 PMID
[31]	Teilhard de Chardin P, 1938. The fossils from locality 12 of Choukoutian. Palaeont Sin, New Ser C, 5:1-47
[32]	Tyrberg T, 1998. Pleistocene Birds of the Palearctic: a Catalogue. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. 1-720
[33]	Watanabe J, Matsuoka H, Hasegawa Y, 2018. Pleistocene non-passeriform landbirds from Shiriya, northeast Japan. Acta Palaeontol Pol, 63(3):469-491
[34]	Weesie P D M, 1984. On some Pleistocene bird fossils from the south Aegean island of Karpathos (Greece). Geobios, 17(6):845-849 DOI URL
[35]	Worthy T H, 2012. A phabine pigeon (Aves: Columbidae) from Oligo-Miocene Australia. Emu, 112(1):23-31 DOI URL
[36]	Zelenkov N, 2015. Mesozoic and Cenozoic avian faunas of Asia (the history of the formation of the modern communities). XIV International Ornithological Conference of Northern Eurasia (Almaty). Vol II. Oral Presentations. Oral Presentations. Almaty: Menzbier Ornithological Society. 37-74

	Specimen	Bp	Dtd	GBd	GL	SD	TW
Columba congi	IVPP V 6436.1 L	12.8				4.9	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.2 R		9.5	10.2		4.8	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.3 R			10.3		4.8	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.4 R		9.3	10.0		4.9	0.3
Columba livia	BMNHC 21449 L	14.5		10.5	46.7	5.4
	BMNHC 21449 R	14.6		10.5	46.9	5.6
	IVPP OV 1735 L	15.2	11.3	11.8	46.5	5.3
	IVPP OV 1735 R	15.2	11.0	12.0	46.5	5.3
	IVPP OV 1363 L	12.9	9.8	10.0	44.7	4.5
	IVPP OV 1363 R	13.0	9.6	10.0	44.6	4.5
Columba rupestris	IOZ S031 L	12.7	10.0	10.3	43.5	5.2	0.4
	IOZ S031 R	12.8	10.1	10.0	43.4	5.1	0.4
	IVPP OV 859 L	13.4	10.5	10.3	43.2	4.6
Streptopelia orientalis	BMNHC 108613 L	13.1	9.3	9.7	41.3	4.9
	BMNHC 108613 R	12.9	9.2	9.7	41.5	5.0
	IVPP OV 1883 L	13.1	9.2	10.5	44.0	5.0
	IVPP OV 1883 R	13.0	9.3	9.9	43.5	4.9
	IVPP OV 1882 L	12.6	9.2	9.9	40.6	4.6
	IVPP OV 1882 R	12.6	9.1	9.7	41.0	4.5
Streptopelia chinensis	IVPP OV 1846 L	10.9	7.9	8.9	34.4	3.8
	IVPP OV 1846 R	11.1	7.6	8.9	34.3	3.9
	IVPP OV 1908 L	12.4	8.3	9.2	39.1	4.3
	IVPP OV 1908 R	12.7	8.1	9.3	39.2	4.3

	Specimen	Bp	Dtd	GBd	GL	SD	TW
Columba congi	IVPP V 6436.1 L	12.8				4.9	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.2 R		9.5	10.2		4.8	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.3 R			10.3		4.8	0.4
	IVPP V 6436.4 R		9.3	10.0		4.9	0.3
Columba livia	BMNHC 21449 L	14.5		10.5	46.7	5.4
	BMNHC 21449 R	14.6		10.5	46.9	5.6
	IVPP OV 1735 L	15.2	11.3	11.8	46.5	5.3
	IVPP OV 1735 R	15.2	11.0	12.0	46.5	5.3
	IVPP OV 1363 L	12.9	9.8	10.0	44.7	4.5
	IVPP OV 1363 R	13.0	9.6	10.0	44.6	4.5
Columba rupestris	IOZ S031 L	12.7	10.0	10.3	43.5	5.2	0.4
	IOZ S031 R	12.8	10.1	10.0	43.4	5.1	0.4
	IVPP OV 859 L	13.4	10.5	10.3	43.2	4.6
Streptopelia orientalis	BMNHC 108613 L	13.1	9.3	9.7	41.3	4.9
	BMNHC 108613 R	12.9	9.2	9.7	41.5	5.0
	IVPP OV 1883 L	13.1	9.2	10.5	44.0	5.0
	IVPP OV 1883 R	13.0	9.3	9.9	43.5	4.9
	IVPP OV 1882 L	12.6	9.2	9.9	40.6	4.6
	IVPP OV 1882 R	12.6	9.1	9.7	41.0	4.5
Streptopelia chinensis	IVPP OV 1846 L	10.9	7.9	8.9	34.4	3.8
	IVPP OV 1846 R	11.1	7.6	8.9	34.3	3.9
	IVPP OV 1908 L	12.4	8.3	9.2	39.1	4.3
	IVPP OV 1908 R	12.7	8.1	9.3	39.2	4.3