The Saint Helena dove (Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos) was a species of flightless bird in the family Columbidae. It is monotypic within the genus Dysmoropelia.[1] It was endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is known from remains of Late Pleistocene[2] (formerly considered to be Middle Pleistocene[3]) age found at the Sugarloaf Hill locality, which consists of aeoliancalcareous sands.[3] The holotype consists of a right coracoid (USNM 175955), with paratypes consisting of "distal end of right tarsometatarsus (Ashmole No. 342), (S/1963.25.29) distal half of right humerus (Ashmole No. 337), (S/1963.25.26) worn left tibiotarsus lacking distal end (Kerr No. E4), (S/ 1963.25.27) distal portion of shaft of left tarsometatarsus (Kerr No. E3), (S/1963.25.30) worn proximal end of right humerus. (USNM 175956) left ulna, (175957 and 175958) proximal fragments of left ulnae, (175959) proximal end of right femur, (175962) distal end of right humerus"[3]
It was a fairly large bird with short wings relative to body size and robust legs, with among the most extreme morphological adaptions of flightless columbids, akin to that of the dodo, Rodrigues solitaire and Viti Levu giant pigeon.[4] It was presumed to have been hunted to extinction soon after the island's discovery in 1502. However, no accounts of the bird exist (Introductions were made very early on in the history of Saint Helena, and the accounts are therefore less useful) and Lewis (2008) suggests the bird became extinct prior to or during the Last Glacial Maximum.[2] It has been suggested on morphological grounds that it is most closely related to Streptopelia turtle doves.[5][3]
References
^*BirdLife International 2004. Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 July 2007.
^ abLewis, Colin A. (October 2008). "The Late Glacial and Holocene avifauna of the island of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 63 (2): 128–144. doi:10.1080/00359190809519217. ISSN 0035-919X. S2CID 84064599.
^ abcdOlson, Storrs L. (1975). "Paleornithology of St. Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology (23): 1–49. doi:10.5479/si.00810266.23.1. ISSN 0081-0266.
saint, helena, dove, dysmoropelia, dekarchiskos, species, flightless, bird, family, columbidae, monotypic, within, genus, dysmoropelia, endemic, island, saint, helena, south, atlantic, ocean, known, from, remains, late, pleistocene, formerly, considered, middl. The Saint Helena dove Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos was a species of flightless bird in the family Columbidae It is monotypic within the genus Dysmoropelia 1 It was endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean It is known from remains of Late Pleistocene 2 formerly considered to be Middle Pleistocene 3 age found at the Sugarloaf Hill locality which consists of aeolian calcareous sands 3 The holotype consists of a right coracoid USNM 175955 with paratypes consisting of distal end of right tarsometatarsus Ashmole No 342 S 1963 25 29 distal half of right humerus Ashmole No 337 S 1963 25 26 worn left tibiotarsus lacking distal end Kerr No E4 S 1963 25 27 distal portion of shaft of left tarsometatarsus Kerr No E3 S 1963 25 30 worn proximal end of right humerus USNM 175956 left ulna 175957 and 175958 proximal fragments of left ulnae 175959 proximal end of right femur 175962 distal end of right humerus 3 Saint Helena doveTemporal range Late Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Conservation statusExtinct IUCN 3 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder ColumbiformesFamily ColumbidaeGenus DysmoropeliaOlson 1975Species D dekarchiskosBinomial name Dysmoropelia dekarchiskosOlson 1975Location of Saint HelenaIt was a fairly large bird with short wings relative to body size and robust legs with among the most extreme morphological adaptions of flightless columbids akin to that of the dodo Rodrigues solitaire and Viti Levu giant pigeon 4 It was presumed to have been hunted to extinction soon after the island s discovery in 1502 However no accounts of the bird exist Introductions were made very early on in the history of Saint Helena and the accounts are therefore less useful and Lewis 2008 suggests the bird became extinct prior to or during the Last Glacial Maximum 2 It has been suggested on morphological grounds that it is most closely related to Streptopelia turtle doves 5 3 References Edit BirdLife International 2004 Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Downloaded on 24 July 2007 a b Lewis Colin A October 2008 The Late Glacial and Holocene avifauna of the island of St Helena South Atlantic Ocean Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 63 2 128 144 doi 10 1080 00359190809519217 ISSN 0035 919X S2CID 84064599 a b c d Olson Storrs L 1975 Paleornithology of St Helena Island South Atlantic Ocean Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 23 1 49 doi 10 5479 si 00810266 23 1 ISSN 0081 0266 Hume Julian P 24 August 2017 Extinct birds ISBN 978 1 4729 3745 2 OCLC 999613814 Ashmole Philip 2000 St Helena and Ascension Island a natural history Ashmole Myrtle Oswestry A Nelson ISBN 0 904614 61 1 OCLC 45690660 This Columbiformes related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This article about Saint Helena or the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saint Helena dove amp oldid 1114145349, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
