Coturnix augustus Zelenkov, 2024 (new species)
(Type coracoid [shoulder bone] of Coturnix augustus [scale bar = 5 mm], from Zelenkov, 2024)
Meaning of name: augustus = majestic [in Latin]
Age: Pliocene (Piacenzian)
Where found: Shaamar, Selenge, Mongolia
How much is known: A partial right coracoid (shoulder bone).
Notes: Coturnix is an extant genus of quails known from Africa, Eurasia, and Australasia. The type specimen of C. augustus was previously assigned to the extinct genus Plioperdix, but detailed restudy has found that it more closely resembles extant Coturnix. C. augustus was slightly larger than modern Coturnix species, and is the oldest representative of this genus known from Eurasia.
Reference: Zelenkov, N.V. 2024. The diversity and evolution of quails and allies (Aves: Galliformes: Phasianidae: Coturnicini) in the Miocene–Early Pleistocene of Eurasia. Paleontological Journal 58: 1089–1193.
