Re: [dinosaur] *Heracles inexpectatus*, giant parrot from the Miocene of NZ

Honestly aghast that there isn't a "Heracles" genus name already

On Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 12:41 PM David Marjanovic <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Trevor H. Worthy, Suzanne J. Hand, Michael Archer, R. Paul Scofield &
> Vanesa L. De Pietri
> Evidence for a giant parrot from the Early Miocene of New Zealand
> Biology Letters, published today
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__royalsocietypublishing.org_doi_10.1098_rsbl.2019.0467&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=mG1a8w_qRkAtcHJ92aoPAbuyKzn2TS6QRRdymg_U2vs&s=tk9RlkWYQn8cHUOQDQHLRKfQIu1Vq7aftCA7R9mDq2s&e= 
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__royalsocietypublishing.org_doi_10.1098_rsbl.2019.0467&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=zW8MD1hCJ4F16Mm_t4OUvCjYw3620Ly4QdLdXi7b1b8&s=U2HI_hYuRJYv5TiVcwRrGTRSI-CEON6puAvIEwKHohY&e=>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__doi.org_10.1098_rsbl.2019.0467&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=mG1a8w_qRkAtcHJ92aoPAbuyKzn2TS6QRRdymg_U2vs&s=hNId0ePV5ubGh8B1g-Ode8trS034dEJFpU1s0C5_4LM&e= 
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__doi.org_10.1098_rsbl.2019.0467&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=zW8MD1hCJ4F16Mm_t4OUvCjYw3620Ly4QdLdXi7b1b8&s=Z_i1xcV7YppEGSrii4G0oG90mRT3fDsa98bYVsl5G8w&e=>
>
> Abstract:
>
> Insular avifaunas have repeatedly spawned evolutionary novelties in the
> form of unusually large, often flightless species. We report fossils from
> the Early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of New Zealand that attests to the
> former existence of a giant psittaciform, which is described as a new genus
> and species. The fossils are two incomplete tibiotarsi from a bird with an
> estimated mass of 7 kg, double that of the heaviest known parrot, the
> kakapo *Strigops habroptila*. These psittaciform fossils show that
> parrots join the growing group of avian taxa prone to giantism in insular
> species, currently restricted to palaeognaths, anatids, sylviornithids,
> columbids, aptornithids, ciconiids, tytonids, falconids and accipitrids.
>
> Apparently a meter tall. No way to tell if it was able to fly.
>
> At least one news report has claimed this was a predator, "possibly"
> feeding on smaller parrots. Naturally, as there are just "two incomplete
> tibiotarsi" known, there's not a word of this in the paper. Perhaps the
> myth originated as a misunderstanding of this part:
>
> *Etymology*: The nestorid *Nelepsittacus* from the St Bathans Fauna was
> named after Neleus. This much larger psittaciform is named after the Greek
> Heracles, who in Latin was known as Hercules, and who killed Neleus and his
> sons, except for Nestor. Genus gender masculine. The specific epithet
> denotes the unexpected nature of this find.
>
> Indeed, Nestor, literally "the one who comes home safe", survives to this
> day in New Zealand – *Nestor notabilis* is the kea.
>
> I should mention that it's *Strigops habroptilus*: ops is feminine in the
> original Greek, but ICZN Art. 30.1.4.3
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__code.iczn.org_formation-2Dand-2Dtreatment-2Dof-2Dnames_article-2D30-2Dgender-2Dof-2Dgenus-2Dgroup-2Dnames_-23art-2D30-2D1&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=Ry_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=zW8MD1hCJ4F16Mm_t4OUvCjYw3620Ly4QdLdXi7b1b8&s=ZBZTeuGw2XC_q807CFrmwP3aYczR5rZDP_cS3c62XCE&e=>
> states that "A compound genus-group name ending in -ops is to be treated as
> masculine, regardless of its derivation or of its treatment by its author."
> That's why we get to keep *Triceratops horridus* and *T. prorsus*, too.
>
> (Note that the Code is no longer hosted by nhm.ac.uk, but has moved to
> iczn.org.)
>


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