Abstract
New fossils from the latest Pliocene portion of the Tatrot Formation exposed in the Siwalik Hills of northern India represent the first fossil record of a darter (Anhingidae) from India. The darter fossils possibly represent a new species, but the limited information on the fossil record of this group restricts their taxonomic allocation. The Pliocene darter has a deep pit on the distal face of metatarsal trochlea IV not reported in other anhingids, it has an open groove for the m. flexor perforatus et perforans digiti II tendon on the hypotarsus unlike New World anhingid taxa, and these darter specimens are the youngest of the handful of Neogene records of the group from Asia. These fossil specimens begin to fill in a significant geographic and temporal gap in the fossil record of this group that is largely known from other continents and other time periods. The presence of a darter and pelican (along with crabs, fish, turtles, and crocodilians) in the same fossil-bearing horizon strongly indicates the past presence of a substantial water body (large pond, lake, or river) in the interior of northern India in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.
Highlights
While the first fossil birds from individuals at Panjab University (India) were published in the 19th century [1,2], the known diversity of birds in India has not expanded greatly in the intervening century
The presence of a pelican and multiple anhingid individuals at the same locality/stratigraphic horizon in the Khetpurali section of the Siwalik Hills all point to a strong aquatic influence on the site that is today over 1000 km from the nearest part of the Indian Ocean
The associated fauna of this bone-bearing horizon in the Tatrot Formation includes crabs, crocodiles, and fish, in addition to the avian fossils [4,40], and the depositional environment initially was interpreted as a floodplain pond
Summary
While the first fossil birds from India were published in the 19th century [1,2], the known diversity of birds in India has not expanded greatly in the intervening century. The fossil record of birds in India includes several Eocene taxa (e.g., [3]), the Neogene taxa from the Siwaliks Hills (e.g., [1, 4]), and some Pleistocene material (e.g., [5]). Recent fieldwork by individuals at Panjab University (India) is adding new taxa and additional specimens to the Indian Neogene record from the Siwalik Hills in northern India (e.g., [4] and the new fossils below; Fig 1). Further exploration of the stratigraphic sequence and locality (Fig 1) that produced the recently reported pelican specimen [4] continues to result in the discovery of new avian fossils. This fossil horizon in the Khetpurali section in the upper
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
