Type specimens of fossil vertebrates housed in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Cuba.
Stephen Díaz-Franco, 2004
Abstract
Type specimens of fossil vertebrates housed in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Cuba are listed by their original published names. Author, reference, typological category, catalog number, nature of specimen, type locality, collector, collecting date, geologic age and formation, as well as up dating and corrections, are given for each specimen. The collection contains 18 holotypes and 21 paratypes included in ten orders and eleven families, ranging from Jurassic to Quaternary.
Keywords: Collection, Cuba, Fossils, Type specimens, Vertebrates.
Introduction
The Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, La Habana, Cuba treasures a valuable collection of fossil vertebrates. This collection contains mainly material collected in the Cuban archipelago, or in other parts of the Antilles, as well as non-Antillean specimens resorting from donations and scientific exchanges with foreign institutions.
More than 50% of the type specimens in the collection is composed of Tertiary and Quaternary mammals, and a reduced percentage of other groups of the same age, or from Jurassic deposits.
In the present list, orders are arranged sistematically, and taxa below the family appear in alphabetical order. Type specimens are presented under the name by wich they were originally described. Scientific names are followed by author(s) and bibliographic citation. All available information is given for each specimen: typological category, nature of specimen, catalog number, type locality, collector and collecting date, and geologic age and formation. Remarks are included as needed.
Abbreviations: Geologic formation (Fm); Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática (IES); Instituto de Geología y Paleontología, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba (IGPACC); Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Cuba (MNHNCu and all former variants); Paleontological collection (MNHNCu P).
Myliobatiformes
Myliobatidae
Aetomylaeus cubensis Iturralde-Vinent, Mora, Rojas, and Gutiérrez, 1998:137
Holotype: Incomplete lower dental plate, IGP-V207 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P4606). Cueva del Bicho, Caimito, La Habana. J. Martínez González, 1992. Middle Miocene. Guines Fm.
Crocodyliformes
Metriorhynchidae
Ichthyosaurus torrei Torre and Cuervo, 1939:9
Holotype: Fragmentary skull, MNHNCu P3001. Laguna de Piedra, Viñales, Pinar del Río. A. A. Cuervo. Upper Jurassic (Middle to Late Oxfordian). Jagua Fm.
Remarks: Material originally referred to Ichthyosauria. Regarded by Gasparini and Iturralde-Vinent (2001) as Crocodyliformes: Metriorhynchidae.
CHELONII
Notoemydidae
Caribemys oxfordiensis Fuente and Iturralde-Vinent, 2001:860
Holotype: Partially preserved shell, a probable eight cervical vertebra and remains of the appendicular skeleton of a single individual, MNHNCu-P 3209 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P3125). Viñales, Pinar del Río. J. Gallardo. Upper Jurassic (Middle to Late Oxfordian). Jagua Fm.
Remarks: The familial category was not recognized in the original publication, but just tentatively Notoemydidae could be considered (Fuente, pers. com.).
Plesiosauria
Cryptoclididae
Cryptocleidus? [sic] cuervoi caroli Torre and Rojas, 1949:199
Holotype: Anterior part of skull and mandible with associated atlas-axis, MNHNH P3008 in Iturralde-Vinent and Norell, 1996. Near Viñales, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Carlos de la Torre. Upper Jurassic (Middle to Late Oxfordian). Jagua Fm.
Remarks: Material originally referred to Ichthyosauria. Regarded by Gasparini et al. (2002) as Plesiosauria: Cryptoclididae.
The following specimen was regarded as nomem dubium in the revision by Iturralde-Vinent and Norell (1996):
Cryptocleidus? [sic] cuervoi quesadai Torre and Rojas, 1949:198
Holotype: Vertebra, MNHNH P3007 in Iturralde-Vinent and Norell, 1996 (present number MNHNCu P3007). Near Viñales, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Julio de Quesada. Upper Jurassic (Middle to Late Oxfordian). Jagua Fm.
Remarks: Material originally referred to Ichthyosauria. Regarded by Gasparini et al. (2002) as Plesiosauria.
Our collection also contains fossil specimens assigned to Cryptocleidus? [sic] vignalensis Torre and Cuervo, 1939: Four articulated vertebra, MNHNH P3002 in Iturralde-Vinent and Norell, 1996 (present number MNHNCu P3002). Laguna de Piedra, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian). Jagua Fm. Long bone fragment contained in a small concretion, MNHNH P3003 in Iturralde-Vinent and Norell, 1996 (present number MNHNCu P3003). Laguna de Piedra, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Upper Jurassic (Middle to Late Oxfordian). Jagua Fm.
Remarks: This taxon was never published (see Iturralde-Vinent and Norell, 1996:11-12 for general comments).
Strigiformes
Strigidae
Bubo osvaldoi Arredondo and Olson, 1994:438
Holotype: Right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu-27.1 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2798). Cueva del Mono Fósil, Viñales, Pinar del Río. O. Jiménez Vázquez, 1992. Quaternary. Paratypes (Topotypes): shaft of left tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu-27.2 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P4607); right femur, MNHNCu-27.3 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P4608) (same collector, date, and age as the holotype).
FALCONIFORMES
Accipitridae
Gigantohierax suarezi Arredondo and Arredondo, 1999 [2002]:10
Holotype: Left femur, MNHNH. P-574 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P574). Cueva de Sandoval, Caimito, La Habana. J. Martínez González and W. Suárez Duque, 1995. Quaternary.
Falconidae
Falco kurochkini Suárez and Olson, 2001:35
Holotype: Complete left tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu P3229. Cueva de Sandoval (in a small sink within the cave known as "El Sumidero"), Caimito, La Habana. W. Suárez Duque, 1997. Paratypes (Topotypes): Right coracoid, MNHNCu P3209; Humerus: complete left, MNHNCu P3210; incomplete left, MNHNCu P3211; proximal lefts, MNHNCu P3212, P3213, P3214; right lacking proximal end, MNHNCu P3215. Ulna: proximal right, MNHNCu P3217; distal right, MNHNCu P3219; proximal left, MNHNCu P3216; distal left, MNHNCu P3218. Carpometacarpus: proximal right, MNHNCu P3220. Notarium: MNHNCu P3221. Femur: complete left, MNHNCu P3222; distal half of right, MNHNCu P3226; left lacking distal end, MNHNCu P3223; proximal lefts, MNHNCu P3224, MNHNCu P3225. Tibiotarsus: complete right, MNHNCu P3227; distal right, MNHNCu P3228.
Right tibiotarsus lacking proximal end, MNHNCu P3230. Cueva de Paredones (in a sink known as "Salón del Pozo"), Caimito, La Habana, W. Suárez Duque, 1994. Quaternary.
Milvago carbo Suárez and Olson, 2003:302
Holotype: Nearly complete right tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu P456. Las Breas de San Felipe, Martí, Matanzas. Geology and Paleontology Group of MNHNCu, 1998. Paratypes (Topotypes): Fragmentary notarium MNHNCu P4567; distal ends of left tibiotarsi MNHNCu P4568, MNHNCu P4570, MNHNCu P4571; proximal half of left tarsometatarsus MNHNCu P4572; shaft of left tarsometatarsus MNHNCu P4573; proximal right tarsometatarsus MNHNCu P4574; distal halves of right tarsometatarsi MNHNCu P4575, MNHNCu P4576; distal ends of left tarsometatarsi MNHNCu P4577, MNHNCu P4578. Quaternary.
PILOSA
Megalonychidae
Imagocnus zazae MacPhee and Iturralde-Vinent, 1994:3
Holotype: Edentulous partial palate, MNHNH P 3014 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P3014). Domo de Zaza (Canal Zaza), La Sierpe, Sancti Spiritus. R. D. MacPhee and M. A. Iturralde Vinent, 1992. Late Early Miocene. Lagunitas Fm.
Galerocnus jaimezi Arredondo and Rivero, 1997:106
Holotype: Incomplete left femur, MNHNH 90-30 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2474). Cueva del Mono Fósil, Viñales, Pinar del Río. E. Jaimez Salgado, 1987. Quaternary.
Habanocnus paulacoutoi Mayo, 1978:687
Holotype: Left femur, IGP No. 417-4 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2426). Caverna de Pío Domingo, Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río. Quaternary.
Neocnus amplus Arredondo and Arredondo, 1999 [2002]:36
Holotype: Incomplete left femur, M.N.H.N 90-31 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P4708). Cueva de Paredones, Caimito, La Habana. O. Arredondo, 1959. Quaternary.
Neocnus baireiensis Mayo, 1980:224
Holotype: Left femur, IGPACC No. 425-1 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2435). Baire, Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba. Quaternary.
Remarks: Type locality given as Baire, Oriente Province; now Provincia de Santiago de Cuba, Municipio Contramaestre.
Paramiocnus riveroi Arredondo and Arredondo, 2000:67
Holotype: Incomplete left humerus, MNHNH V-437 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2797). Cueva del Mono Fósil, Viñales, Pinar del Río. D. Gutiérrez Calvache, O. Jiménez Vázquez, and R. D. E. MacPhee, 1993. Quaternary.
Soricomorpha
Solenodontidae
Solenodon arredondoi Morgan and Ottenwalder, 1993:154
Holotype: Skull lacking the braincase, MNHNC 421/123 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P2455). Cueva de Paredones, Caimito, La Habana. Quaternary.
Primates
Pithecidae
Paralouatta marianae MacPhee, Iturralde-Vinent and Gaffney, 2003:15
Holotype: Right astragalus, MNHNCu-P 3059 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P3059). Domo de Zaza, La Sierpe, Sancti Spiritus. O. Jiménez Vázquez, 1993. Late Early Miocene. Lagunitas Fm.
Paralouatta varonai Rivero and Arredondo, 1991:1
Holotype: Incomplete skull, MNHN 90-25 in the original description as provisional accesion number (present number MNHNCu P2565). Cueva del Mono Fósil, Viñales, Pinar del Río. R. Crespo Díaz, 1987. Quaternary.
Remarks: Material originally referred to Atelidae. Regarded by Horovitz and MacPhee (1999) as Pithecidae.
Rodentia
Capromyidae
Zazamys veronicae MacPhee and Iturralde-Vinent, 1995:3
Holotype: Left mandibular molar ?M3 [sic], MNHNH P 3072 in the original description (present number MNHNCu P3072). Domo de Zaza, La Sierpe, Sancti Spiritus. R. D. E. MacPhee and M. A. Iturralde Vinent, 1993. Late Early Miocene. Lagunitas Fm.
Acknowledgments: To my colleages G. Silva Taboada and M. Iturralde Vinent (MNHNCu) for his accurate comments and criticisms, and O. Jiménez Vázquez (IES) for the valuable information provided.
References