<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The authors compared the first phalanx of the second wing finger of 33 European diurnal raptors. The importance of studying this bone lies in the fact that, although it has diagnosable characteristics, it was practically neglected by osteologists and paleontologists. Thus, fossil materials can be identified through them, as well as those from owl pellets. The comparison was made possible by the comparative avian skeleton collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. In a preliminary investigation we examined the morphological diversity of the first phalanx of the second wing finger among the different species. We used principal component (PC) analyses on measurements. The PC described the curvature of the anterior surface of the bone and the relative size of the distal and proximal epiphyses. The principal component analysis showed slightly overlapping in shape between the taxons but the accipitriform and falconiform birds diverged in the morphospace. The attributes and geometry of the first phalanx of the second wing finger reflects more on taxonomic background than flying behaviour. The avian wing is a complex and highly modulable structure, therefore, probably body mass and size affect flying performance than the other morphological features of this bone. The text is supplemented by 6 figures and one size table.</p>
</abstract>

The authors compared the first phalanx of the second wing finger of 33 European diurnal raptors. The importance of studying this bone lies in the fact that, although it has diagnosable characteristics, it was practically neglected by osteologists and paleontologists. Thus, fossil materials can be identified through them, as well as those from owl pellets. The comparison was made possible by the comparative avian skeleton collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. In a preliminary investigation we examined the morphological diversity of the first phalanx of the second wing finger among the different species. We used principal component (PC) analyses on measurements. The PC described the curvature of the anterior surface of the bone and the relative size of the distal and proximal epiphyses. The principal component analysis showed slightly overlapping in shape between the taxons but the accipitriform and falconiform birds diverged in the morphospace. The attributes and geometry of the first phalanx of the second wing finger reflects more on taxonomic background than flying behaviour. The avian wing is a complex and highly modulable structure, therefore, probably body mass and size affect flying performance than the other morphological features of this bone. The text is supplemented by 6 figures and one size table.

The wing phalanges <italic>(Phalanx proximalis digiti majoris)</italic> of European Accipitriformes and Falconiformes

Faculty of Forestry, Institute of Wildlife Management and Biology

Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The wing phalanges  of European Accipitriformes and Falconiformes

The authors compared the first phalanx of the second wing finger of 33 European diurnal raptors. The importance of studying this bone lies in the fact that,...

The wing phalanges (Phalanx proximalis digiti majoris) of European Accipitriformes and Falconiformes

Published Online: Nov 29, 2021

Page range: 93 - 106

Received: Oct 09, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2021-0022

Keywords
Europe, diurnal raptors, osteology

© 2021 Ida Horváth et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The wing phalanges (Phalanx proximalis digiti majoris) of European Accipitriformes and Falconiformes

Published Online: Nov 29, 2021

Page range: 93 - 106

Received: Oct 09, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2021-0022

KeywordsEurope, diurnal raptors, osteology

© 2021 Ida Horváth et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Europe, diurnal raptors, osteology