We describe new avian fossils from the Boom Formation of Belgium, which almost double the number of bird taxa known from this part of the Rupelian stratotype. Three galliform species can, at least tentatively, be assigned to the paraortygid species Paraortyx brancoi, P. lorteti, and Pirortyx major. Among the fossils is a partial sternum, which shows that Paraortyx lacks a spina interna. The absence of this structure is plesiomorphic for Galliformes and probably related to the absence of a large crop, thus indicating that Paraortygidae were not yet adapted to the regular processing of coarse and dry food. Two distal humeri belong to Trogoniformes (trogons) and Upupiformes (hoopoes, woodhoopoes, and allies), respectively. A femur is tentatively assigned to Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds), and a carpometacarpus is, likewise tentatively, referred to Threskiornithidae (ibises and spoonbills). We finally comment on the affinities of “Anas” benedeni Sharpe, 1899 and detail that this species most likely belongs to Gaviiformes (loons).
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We describe Gekko dam sp. nov. based on type specimens from a limestone hill in Palian District, Trang Province, southern peninsular Thailand. The new species is also found in Satun Province, southern peninsular Thailand, and in Perlis State, northwestern Peninsular Malaysia. A member of the subgenus Gekko, it differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 149.1 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 21–24 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 72–83 scale rows around midbody, 12–14 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 26–28 ventral scale rows at midbody, 22 precloacal pores in males, two postcloacal tubercles on each side of the base of the tail, 14–17 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 19–21 on 4th toe, a Y-shaped mark on head, white spots on head, dark grey to black dorsal background with four regular bands of contrasting white spots on dorsum between limb insertions, throat and venter white with orange patches, and a copper iris.
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We describe Gekko shiva sp. nov. from limestone cave and hills in Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The new species, a member of the subgenus Gekko, differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 131.9 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 28 or 29 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 80–86 scale rows around midbody, 18 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 35–37 ventral scale rows at midbody, 9–12 precloacal pores in males, one or two postcloacal tubercles on each side of the base of the tail, 13–15 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 18 or 19 on 4th toe, no Y-shaped mark on head, white spots on head, brown dorsal background with irregular bands of white spots on dorsum, yellow venter, and greenish golden iris.
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