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| Meridiocichla Temporal range: (possibleHolocene record) | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Turdidae |
| Genus: | †Meridiocichla Louchart, 2004 |
| Species: | †M. salotti |
| Binomial name | |
| †Meridiocichla salotti Louchart, 2004 | |
Meridiocichla is anextinctgenus of largethrush that inhabitedSouthern Europe during the LateQuaternary period. The sole species,M. salotti, is the largest thrush species ever known from Europe, being about the size of ascaly thrush. Itsphylogenetic relations to other thrush species are unclear.[1]
The only knownfossils ofMeridiocichla come from the islands ofCorsica andCrete in theMediterranean Sea. The fossils from Corsica constituted a premaxillary bone from Funtanedu Cave (dated to theLate Pleistocene orHolocene) and twohumeri 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 themistle thrush. Its large size indicated that it was a thrush rather than anOld World flycatcher orstarling, and direct comparisons of humeri proved an exact match to large thrushes of thegeneraTurdus,Myophonus andZoothera. The fossils wereformally 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 nameMeridiocichla is a combination of theLatin wordmeridionalis, meaning "southern" (in reference to its Mediterranean distribution), and theGreek wordkikhle, meaning "thrush". Thespecific epithet commemoratespaleontologist andarcheologist Michelle Salotti. Thebinomial name thus translates to "Salotti's southern thrush".
Meridiocichla was easily the largest thrush in its ecosystem, being similar in size to a scaly thrush. Like other thrushes, it was anomnivore. Notwithstanding its large size and insular habitat, the species could certainly fly, as there were no signs offlightlessness. Its humerus-ulna length ratio was intermediate between that of more migratory thrush species and that of more sedentary ones such asHorsfield's thrush or theEurasian blackbird. The exactmigration routes ofMeridiocichla are unknown.
It is unlikely that the species was limited to justCorsica andCrete, due to both the distance between the islands and due to there being several unconfirmed remains from continentalFrance andItaly, as well asMallorca. The remains showed no sign ofinsular endemism; it is possible that theMediterranean islands served only as the species' wintering grounds.
Meridiocichla appeared to have been already rare during theLate Pleistocene, and its disappearance coincided with theLate Pleistocene extinctions. Like thePleistocenemegafauna, 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.