A new barn owl (Aves: Strigidae) from the early Miocene of Germany, with comments on the fossil history of the Tytoninae

Abstract

A previously unknown, very large barn owl, Basityto rummeli is described from the early Miocene of Gragenmuhle 21 in Bavaria, Germany. This raises the number of tytonine genera known from the early Miocene to three. Necrobyas is known only from France, Prosybris from France and Austria, and Basityto so far from Germany. Further taxonomic conclusions are as follows: Palaeotyto cadurcensis Mourer-Chauvire, Palaeobyaas cracrafti Mourer-Chauvire, and Tyto edwardsi (Gaillard) are excluded from the Tytoninae. Six species are synomymized: Necrobyas rossignoli Milne-Edwards with Necrobyas harpax Milne-Edwards, Necrobyas edwardsi Gaillard with Necrobyas arvernensis (Milne-Edwards), Necroybas minimus Mourer-Chauvire with Prosybris antiqua (Milne-Edwards), Tyto campiterrae Janossy with Tyto sanctialbani (Lydekker), Tyto robusta Ballmann with Tyto gigantea Ballmann, and Tyto melitensis (Lydekker) with Tyto alba (Scopoli). Necrobyas medius Mourer-Chauvire was transferred to the genus Prosybris. In addition, Stris ignota 'Milne-Edwards' and Strix ignota 'Paris' emerge as not available for nomenclatural purposes.