Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

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The fossil rails (Aves: Rallidae) of Fiji with descriptions of a new genus and species

Trevor H. Worthy¹

¹Palaeofaunal Surveys, 2A Willow Park Drive, RD 11, Masterton, New Zealand.

Email: twmoa@wise.net.nz

Abstract  A new genus and species of Gallirallus-like flightless extinct rail is described from deposits in western Viti Levu, Fiji, south-west Pacific. It is distinguished by having a longer, more decurved bill, than all other rails. Fossils of the barred-wing rail Nesoclopeus poicilopterus (Hautlaub, 1866) are reported from eastern parts of Viti Levu and several fossil bones suggest the former presence of a probable gallinule. A total of seven rails in seven genera were, therefore, sympatric on Viti Levu in the immediate prehuman period.

Keywords  Fiji; rails; Rallidae; Late Quaternary fossils; new genus; new species

R04005 Received 4 May 2004; accepted 28 July 2004; Online publication date 15 September 2004

©Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand Volume 34, Number 3, September 2004, pp 295–314

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