A new species of Pica (Aves : Corvidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene of Mallorca, Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean)

A new species of corvid assigned to genus Pica is described from Pedrera de s'Onix (Mallorca), a fossil site referred to the Plio-Pleistocene boundary . The combination of osteological features in the fossil species is not ful ly coincident with any Palearctic Corvidae; the major resemblance is with P ica pica and to a lesser extend with Garrulus glandarius. Automorphic chara cters are present in the humerus, femur and quadrate. The generic attributi on is based on the latter bone. A reduction of the wing elements and a leng thening of the leg is present in the fossil species, probably achieved thro ugh insular evolution. Ratios estimating relative proportions of wing and l eg skeleton prove reduction in flight capability compared to recent Corvida e, although the trend is not as extreme as in the insular Traversia lyalli (Acanthisittidae) or Emberiza alcoveri (Emberizidae), the only truly flight less passerines known so far. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.