Larus - Systematics and Evolution

Systematics and Evolution

List of species

• Pacific Gull, Larus pacificus
• Belcher's Gull, Larus belcheri
• Olrog's Gull, Larus atlanticus
• Black-tailed Gull, Larus crassirostris
• Heermann's Gull, Larus heermanni
• Common Gull or Mew Gull, Larus canus
• Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
• California Gull, Larus californicus
• Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
• Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus (called "Southern Black-backed Gull" or "Karoro" in New Zealand)
  • Cape Gull, Larus dominicanus vetula
• Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens
• Western Gull, Larus occidentalis

• Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens
• Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus
• Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides
  • Kumlien's Gull, Larus glaucoides kumlieni
• Thayer's Gull, Larus thayeri
• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• Heuglin's Gull, Larus heuglini
• American Herring Gull, Larus smithsonianus
• Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
• Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans
• East Siberian Gull, Larus vegae (or Vega Gull)
  • Birula's Gull, Larus vegae birulai
• Armenian Gull, Larus armenicus
• Slaty-backed Gull, Larus schistisagus
• Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
• Saunders' Gull, Larus saundersi

Fossils of Larus gulls are known since the Middle Miocene, c.20-15 mya; allocation of earlier fossils to this genus is generally rejected nowadays (see below). Biogeography of the fossil record suggests that the genus evolved in the northern Atlantic and spread globally during the Pliocene, when species diversity seems to have been highest as with most seabirds.

• Larus sp. (Grund Middle Miocene of Austria)
• Larus sp. (Middle Miocene of Romania) (Olson, 1985)
• Larus sp. (Late? Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA) - several species (Olson, 1985)
• Larus elmorei (Bone Valley Early/Middle Pliocene of SE USA)
• Larus lacus (Pinecrest Late Pliocene of SE USA)
• Larus perpetuus (Pinecrest Late Pliocene of SE USA)
• Larus sp. (San Diego Late Pliocene of SW USA)
• Larus oregonus (Late Pliocene - Late Pleistocene of WC USA)
• Larus robustus (Late Pliocene - Late Pleistocene of WC USA)
• Larus sp. (Lake Manix Late Pleistocene of W USA)

"Larus" raemdonckii (Early Oligocene of Belgium) is now at least tentatively believed to belong in the procellariiform genus Puffinus. "L." elegans (Late Oligocene?/Early Miocene of St-Gérand-le-Puy, France) and "L." totanoides (Late Oligocene?/Early Miocene of SE France) are now in Laricola, while "L." dolnicensis (Early Miocene of Czechia) was actually a pratincole; it is now placed in Mioglareola.

The Early Miocene "Larus" desnoyersii (SE France) and "L." pristinus (John Day Formation, Willow Creek, USA) probably do not belong in this genus; the former may be a skua (Olson, 1985).