. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. Birds. 5. L. Oh 38 Bull. 1995. Figure 2. Lateral (left) and dorsal (right) views of skulls: A, Nesasio solomonensis (AMNH 631734); B, Ketupa ketupu (USNM 559828). deep as in Asio and would again be more similar to Pseudoscops/ Rhinoptynx. The proportions of the foot differ greatly in Nesasio. Although the tarsometatarsus is scarcely longer than that in Rhinoptynx (Fig. 3), it is much more massive, so that Nesasio must be a much more powerful predator that feeds on relatively larger prey. Peters (1937:82) considered Nesasio to be "prob
. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. Birds. 5. L. Oh 38 Bull. 1995. Figure 2. Lateral (left) and dorsal (right) views of skulls: A, Nesasio solomonensis (AMNH 631734); B, Ketupa ketupu (USNM 559828). deep as in Asio and would again be more similar to Pseudoscops/ Rhinoptynx. The proportions of the foot differ greatly in Nesasio. Although the tarsometatarsus is scarcely longer than that in Rhinoptynx (Fig. 3), it is much more massive, so that Nesasio must be a much more powerful predator that feeds on relatively larger prey. Peters (1937:82) considered Nesasio to be "probably derived from an offshoot of Asio flammeus stock," whereas Pseudoscops he regarded as being "originally of A. asio ; I do not think that this is an accurate reflection of the probable evolutionary history of this group of owls. By comparison with the remainder of the Strigidae, the characters of skull are most derived in Asio. Pseudoscops and Rhinoptynx are clearly more primitive than Asio and are much more similar to one another than either is to Asio. The differences in the skulls of these two are relatively minor and probably not of generic significance. I therefore consider the junior name Rhinoptynx to be a synonym of Pseudoscops, and its only contained species, the Striped Owl, should now be known as Pseudoscops clamator. Nesasio appears more derived in the extent of the supraorbital flattened surfaces and more triangular shape of the skull, but is less derived than Asio in this respect and retains the primitive characters mentioned above, as well as having a more specialized tarsal morphology. Thus, rather than the insular forms Pseudoscops grammicus and Nesasio solomonensis being derived from Asio, these species, along with P. clamator, can be viewed more as primitive forms, perhaps relicts of an earlier asionine radiation that has otherwise been replaced by species of the more derived genus Asio in most parts of the Please note that the
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