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Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Icteridae

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Euphagus magnirostris Miller 1929—Big-billed BlackbirdPleistocene regional distribution of Euphagus magnirostris

Euphagus magnirostris was named on the basis of a lower mandible from Rancho La Brea (Miller 1929). Pertinent data were given by Miller (1929):

Diagnosis.-Ramus long and gonys (symphysis) relatively short; mental angle wide; mandible slightly attenuated distally; basal part of gonys somewhat inflated; gonys and tomium faintly curved; remainder of the skeleton, in so far as known, similar to cyanocephalus.

Comparison.-The lower mandible of magnirostris most nearly approaches E. cyanocephalus, but is larger and stockier, with a greater interramal space. The upper and lower margins of the mandible are slightly curved distally instead of being approximately straight (compare pl. 1, e, g).

Measurements.-Of type: length of ramus, 23.5 mm.; interramal width at base of tomium, 9.4. Average of six males of cyanocephalus (maximum and minimum in parenthesis): length of ramus, 22.4 (23.0-21.8); interramal width, 8.7 (8.9-8.4).

Sites.

Mid/Late Wisconsin: Rancho La Brea (Stock and Harris 1992).

Literature. Miller 1929; Stock and Harris 1992.

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Last Update: 1 Jul 2014