Niue rail

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

Niue rail
Temporal range: Late Holocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Gallirallus
Species:
G. huiatua
Binomial name
Gallirallus huiatua
Steadman, Worthy, Anderson & Walter, 2000[1]

History

The rail was described in 2000 from subfossil bones collected in January 1995 by paleozoologist Trevor Worthy at the Anakuli cave site in Hakupu village, on the island of Niue in West Polynesia. The age range of about 5300 to 3600 year BP for fossil material collected from the site predates human settlement of the island.[1]

Etymology

The specific epithet comes from the Niuean words hui (bones) and atua (of the dead).[1]

See also

References
  1. Steadman, David W.; Worthy, Trevor H.; Anderson, Atholl J. & Walter, Richard. (2000-06-01). "New species and records of birds from prehistoric sites on Niue, southwest Pacific". Wilson Bulletin. 112 (2): 165–186. doi:10.1676/0043-5643(2000)112[0165:NSAROB]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on 2007-05-24.(subscription required)


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