Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
A new species of Gallicolumba: Columbidae from Henderson Island,
Pitcairn Group
Trevor H. Worthy
Palaeofaunal Surveys, 2A Willow Park Drive, RD 11, Masterton, New Zealand.
Email: twmoa@wise.net.nz
Graham M. Wragg
350c Great South Road, Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract A new species of ground dove in the genus
Gallicolumba is described from abundant material from late Pleistocene
to Holocene age deposits of natural and midden derivation on Henderson Island
in the Pitcairn Group, South Pacific Ocean. Osteological characters suggest
that it was most closely related to G. stairi and G. rubescens.
Relatively enlarged leg elements and reduced wing elements suggest that this
dove was facultatively flightless.
Keywords Columbidae; Gallicolumba new species;
Henderson Island; Pitcairn Group
R03001 Received 13 January 2003; accepted 18 June 2003; online publication
date 19 November 2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number
4, December 2003, pp 769-793
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