Meridiocichla is an extinctgenus of large thrush that inhabited Southern Europe during the Late Quaternary period. The sole species, M. salotti, is the largest thrush species ever known from Europe, being about the size of a scaly thrush. Its phylogenetic relations to other thrush species are unclear.[1]
The only known fossils of Meridiocichla come from the islands of Corsica and Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. The fossils from Corsica constituted a premaxillary bone from Funtanedu Cave (dated to the Late Pleistocene or Holocene) and two humeri from Coscia Cave (Late Pleistocene), while the findings in Crete were from Liko Cave (Late Pleistocene). The Corsican fossils were labeled as "very large" and as having a bill larger than that of the mistle thrush. Its large size indicated that it was a thrush rather than an Old World flycatcher or starling, and direct comparisons of humeri proved an exact match to large thrushes of the generaTurdus, Myophonus and Zoothera. The fossils were formally described and assigned to their own genus, Meridiocichla, mostly due to differences in beak morphology. Namely, the species had a very large body size but with a short yet powerful beak. The generic name Meridiocichla is a combination of the Latin word meridionalis, meaning "southern" (in reference to its Mediterranean distribution), and the Greek word kikhle, meaning "thrush". The specific epithet commemorates paleontologist and archeologist Michelle Salotti. The binomial name thus translates to "Salotti's southern thrush".
Description
Meridiocichla was easily the largest thrush in its ecosystem, being similar in size to a scaly thrush. Like other thrushes, it was an omnivore. Notwithstanding its large size and insular habitat, the species could certainly fly, as there were no signs of flightlessness. Its humerus-ulna length ratio was intermediate between that of more migratory thrush species and that of more sedentary ones such as Horsfield's thrush or the Eurasian blackbird. The exact migration routes of Meridiocichla are unknown.
Distribution
It is unlikely that the species was limited to just Corsica and Crete, due to both the distance between the islands and due to there being several unconfirmed remains from continental France and Italy, as well as Mallorca. The remains showed no sign of insular endemism; it is possible that the Mediterranean islands served only as the species' wintering grounds.
Extinction
Meridiocichla appeared to have been already rare during the Late Pleistocene, and its disappearance coincided with the Late Pleistocene extinctions. Like the Pleistocenemegafauna, its large size may have played a role in its extinction. This is due to large species having lower population densities and lower local population sizes, especially on islands, where insular species can be particularly vulnerable to new threats.
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