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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 295-314 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Fiji
- Late Quaternary fossils
- New genus
- New species
- Rails
- Rallidae