| Melanerpes shawi Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Melanerpes |
| Species: | M. shawi |
| Binomial name | |
| Melanerpes shawi Campbell & Bochenski, 2021 [1] | |
Melanerpes shawi is an extinct species of woodpecker from the Pleistocene of California. It was found in the La Brea tar pits. It's part of the genus Melanerpes, which includes twenty-four extant species found across North and South America.
First described in 2021 based on a complete tarsometatarsus, Melanerpes shawi is known from at least seventeen additional specimens that, together with the holotype, likely represent four different individuals. All the fossil material was found at the tar pits of Rancho La Brea, which date to the late Pleistocene.
The species is named after Christopher Shaw, who worked as a volunteer at the Rancho La Brea tar pits for several decades and was a former collections manager.
M. shawi can be differentiated from M. lewis based on the combination of multiple features. The intercondylar eminence of the tarsometatarsus has a wider base while also generally being taller and more slender compared to its relative. The lateral cotyla is posterolaterally shorter and the hypotarsus does not expand as far laterally as in M. lewis. The articulation point for the fourth toe is shorter and the trochlea accessoria has its anterior border partly hidden by the trochlea of the third metatarsus. This differs from Lewis's woodpecker, in which the trochlea accessoria is clearly visible between the third and fourth trochlea.
The top outer edge of the scapula is narrower in this species compared to the bulky acromion of M. lewis. The acrocoracoid process is dorsally shorter and the articular surface for the humerus was dorsally longer. The coracoid additionally differs through the origin of the biceps, which almost overlaps with the afforementioned articular surface of the humerus. These two elements are not nearly as close in M. lewis. The head of the humerus extends further distally and is less rounded. The incisura capitis isn't as deep as in the modern species, bicipital crest not as pronounced and the deltapectoral crest flaring less. The ventral condyle isn't as rounded as in M. lewis and the lateral condyle smaller as a whole. The processus flexorius does not reach as far distally. The ulna has a smaller, less concave dorsal condyle and the rim of this element is more rounded. The tuberculum Lig. collateralis ventralis is much smaller than the shelf-like projection of Lewis's woodpecker. The depression caused by the brachialis muscle is shallow and not as pronounced. The radius has tendon furrows that are well defined on both sides of the bones, while in M. lewis this is only visible on one of the sides. Several elements of the carpometacarpus are relatively broader or more robust than in other species.
The hindlimbs are also known. The femur has a short neck. The intercondylar notch of the tibiotarsus is narrow, which matches the tall intercondylar eminence found on the tarsometatarsus. The medial condyle protrudes less towards the front, while the lateral condyle's anterolateral element does not extend as far towards the sides. The cnemial crest extends straight towards the side, while it flares in Lewis's woodpecker.
Melanerpes shawi was similar in size to the extant Lewis's woodpecker, which is the largest member of the genus Melanerpes.
Melanerpes shawi is one of six species of woodpeckers known from Rancho La Brea. The largest of these was Breacopus garretti , a bird roughly the size of the pileated woodpecker, while the smallest was Bitumenpicus minimus . The most common woodpecker found there was the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), likely due to its more ground-based lifestyle. The genus Melanerpes is present through a second species as well, the still living Lewis's woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis). The last species known from La Brea is the red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber). The high diversity of woodpecker species may indicate that they evolved in relative isolation from other regions of North America, separated from them by mountains and deserts to the east.
Put together, this mix of species gives clues at the environment present around the tar pits during the Pleistocene. Breacopus may have needed tall trees to nest in given its large size, while both the red-breasted sapsucker and Lewis's woodpecker are known to inhabit open woodlands today, preferably forests consisting of oaks, aspen and various conifers. Northern flickers are also known to inhabit more open environments, foraging on the ground.
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body. The knee is a modified hinge joint, which permits flexion and extension as well as slight internal and external rotation. The knee is vulnerable to injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
The ulna is a long bone found in the forearm that stretches from the elbow to the smallest finger, and when in anatomical position, is found on the medial side of the forearm. It runs parallel to the radius, the other long bone in the forearm. The ulna is usually slightly longer than the radius, but the radius is thicker. Therefore, the radius is considered to be the larger of the two.
The humerus is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a rounded head, a narrow neck, and two short processes. The body is cylindrical in its upper portion, and more prismatic below. The lower extremity consists of 2 epicondyles, 2 processes, and 3 fossae. As well as its true anatomical neck, the constriction below the greater and lesser tubercles of the humerus is referred to as its surgical neck due to its tendency to fracture, thus often becoming the focus of surgeons.
The tibia, also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates, and it connects the knee with the ankle bones. The tibia is found on the medial side of the leg next to the fibula and closer to the median plane or centre-line. The tibia is connected to the fibula by the interosseous membrane of leg, forming a type of fibrous joint called a syndesmosis with very little movement. The tibia is named for the flute tibia. It is the second largest bone in the human body next to the femur. The leg bones are the strongest long bones as they support the rest of the body.
Dog anatomy comprises the anatomical studies of the visible parts of the body of a domestic dog. Details of structures vary tremendously from breed to breed, more than in any other animal species, wild or domesticated, as dogs are highly variable in height and weight. The smallest known adult dog was a Yorkshire Terrier that stood only 6.3 cm (2.5 in) at the shoulder, 9.5 cm (3.7 in) in length along the head and body, and weighed only 113 grams (4.0 oz). The heaviest dog was an English Mastiff named Zorba which weighed 314 pounds (142 kg). The tallest known adult dog is a Great Dane that stands 106.7 cm (42.0 in) at the shoulder.
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