Mycteria wetmorei

Wetmore’s Stork (Cayama de Wetmore)

Distribution. — Asphalt deposits in west Cuba (see Appendix). Matanzas. Martí: MLB (Suárez & Olson 2003 a, Suárez 2020 a). Direct 14 C dating. — None in Cuba. For dating of other bird species at MLB, see Antigone cubensis, Gymnogyps varonai and Ornimegalonyx oteroi, and of associated extinct mammals (Parocnus browni = 11,880 ± 420 to 4,960 ± 280 years 14 C BP), see Jull et al. (2004) and Steadman et al. (2005). Notes. — Very rare. M. wetmorei occurred sympatrically with M. americana Linnaeus, 1758, only in Cuba (contra Kirkconnell et al. 2020: 69) in the tar seep deposits (Suárez & Olson 2003 a). Previous records of Wood Stork in fossil localities of North America, including Florida (see Emslie 1998), represent misidentifications, including of M. wetmorei (Olson 1991, Suárez & Olson 2003 a).

Holotype. — Fragment of lower mandible, LACM K 3527 (Howard 1935: 253, fig. 47: 1 [lateral], 2 [dorsal]). Collected by members of the Southern California Academy of Sciences (Howard 1935: 251). Type locality. — ‘ North bank of “ pool ” near Wilshire Boulevard, Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California’, USA (Howard 1935: 253). Referred material. — Carpometacarpus: proximal end of right, MNHNCu 75.4602 (fig. 1 E [internal]). Tibiotarsus: distal end of right, MNHNCu 75.4603 (fig. 1 D [distal]). Tarsometatarsus: left, MNHNCu 75.4757 (Suárez 2020 a: 10, fig. 4: E [proximal], F [distal], G [anterior], H [medial], I [posterior]); proximal end of left (immature), MNHNCu 75.4604 (fig. 1 H [anterior]); distal end of right, MNHNCu 75.4605 (fig. 1 F [anterior]). Cited material and figures are from Suárez & Olson (2003 a), other than where indicated.