Guillemot

Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the auk family, comprising two genera: "Uria" and "Cepphus". This word of French origin apparently derives from a form of the name William, cf. the _cy. Gwillim or the _fr. Guillaume. [ "Guillemot, n., etymology of" " [http://dictionary.oed.com/ The Oxford English Dictionary] ". 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed Dec 17, 2007]

The "Uria" are known as murres in North America and, together with the Razorbill, Dovekie and the extinct Great Auk, make up the tribe Alcini. They have distinctly white bellies, thicker, longer bills than "Cepphus" and form very dense colonies on cliffs during the reproductive season.

The three species of "Cepphus" - for which the term "guillemot" is generally reserved in North America - form a tribe of their own: Cepphini. They are smaller than the "Uria" species, have black bellies, rounder heads and bright red feet.

ystematics

"Uria"

*Common Guillemot or Common Murre, " Uria aalge"
*Brünnich's Guillemot or Thick-billed Murre, " Uria lomvia"

Some prehistoric species are also known:

* "Uria bordkorbi" (Monterey or Sisquoc Late Miocene of Lompoc, USA)
* "Uria affinis" (Late Pleistocene of E USA) - possibly a subspecies of "U. lomvia"
* "Uria paleohesperis"

"U. brodkorbi" is interesting insofar as it is the only known occurrence of the Alcini tribe in the temperate to subtropical Pacific, except for the very fringe of the range of "U. aalge". It suggests that the "Uria" species, which are the sister taxon to all the other Alcini, and like them are usually believed to have evolved in the Atlantic, may have evolved in the Caribbean or possibly close to the Isthmus of Panama. The modern Pacific distribution would then be part of a later arctic expansion, whereas most other auk lineages form clades with a continuous range in the Pacific, from Arctic to subtropical waters.

"Cepphus"

* Black Guillemot or Tystie, " Cepphus grylle"
* Pigeon Guillemot, " Cepphus columba"
* Spectacled Guillemot, " Cepphus carbo"

As in other genera of auks, fossils of prehistoric forms of "Cepphus" have been found:

* "Cepphus olsoni" (San Luis Rey River Late Miocene - Early Pliocene of W USA)
* "Cepphus" cf. "columba" (Lawrence Canyon Early Pliocene of W USA)
* "Cepphus" cf. "grylle" (San Diego Late Pliocene, W USA)

The latter two resemble the extant species, but because of the considerable distance in time or space from their current occurrence, they may represent distinct species.

References