Diagnosis.—Differs from Telmatornis and Presbyornis in (1) having the shaft very short, stout, and much more curved, both in dorsoventral and lateromedial views. Differs from Telmatornis and agrees with Presbyornis in (2) having the distal end in distal view deeper, with (3) a narrower and much deeper olecranal fossa. Also, (4) the brachial depression is smaller and narrower than in Telmatornis but not as deep, nor as proximally situated as in Presbyornis.
Etymology.—"Duck-winged bird," from Latin anas, duck, ala, wing, and avis, bird. The gender is feminine.
Anatalavis rex (Shufeldt, 1915), new combination
Figure 6a,b,dJ
Telmatornis rex Shufeldt, 1915:27, fig. 101.
Holotype.—Right humerus lacking proximal end, YPM 902 ([Figure 6a]).
Locality and Horizon.—From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by W. Ross in 1878; probably Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), basal Hornerstown Formation.
Referred Specimen.—Paratypical left humerus lacking proximal end, YPM 948 ([Figure 6b,d,f]). From Hornerstown, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey; collected by J.G. Meirs in 1869; probably Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), basal Hornerstown Formation.
Measurements (in mm).—Humeri (YPM 902, YPM 948, respectively): distal width 13.6, 13.2; depth through dorsal condyle 7.3, 7.5; width of shaft at proximal extent of brachial fossa 7.2,7.5; length from distal end of pectoral crest to ventral condyle 49.1, 50.7; shaft width at midpoint 5.4, 5.6.
Remarks.—Shufeldt (1915:27) described this species in the same genus as T. priscus and T. affinis but correctly noted that the humerus "is a short one ... its sigmoid curve very pronounced." Cracraft (1972:41) considered that "except for its decidedly larger size, T. rex does not differ from T. priscus in any significant features." In fairness to these authors, it should be noted that the great differences between Anatalavis and Telmatornis are much more apparent in comparisons with the new humerus of T. priscus (ANSP 15360), which preserves much more of the shaft than the previously known specimens. Both Shufeldt and Cracraft considered YPM 948 to belong to the same species as the holotype of T. rex, and we concur.