Tahuata rail

Tahuata rail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Gallirallus
Species: G. roletti
Binomial name
Gallirallus roletti
Kirchman & Steadman, 2007[1]

The Tahuata rail (Gallirallus roletti) is an extinct species of flightless bird in the Rallidae, or rail family.

History

It was described in 2007 from subfossil remains found in 1984-1985 by Barry Rolett at the Hanamiai archaeological site, on the island of Tahuata in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. The site dates to about 1000 yr BP, from the early period of human settlement of the island.[1]

Etymology

The species was named in honour of archaeologist Barry V. Rolett, whose research in the Marquesas has been of both archaeological and biological importance, particularly for the excavation of an extensive series of Gallirallus bones at the Hanamiai site.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kirchman, Jeremy J. & Steadman, David. (2007). "New species of extinct rails (Aves: Rallidae) from archaeological sites in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.". Pacific Science. 61 (1): 145–163. doi:10.1353/psc.2007.0008.(subscription required)


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.