Viti Levu rail
| Viti Levu rail | |
|---|---|
| Fossil | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Vitirallus T. H. Worthy, 2004 |
| Species: | V. watlingi |
| Binomial name | |
| Vitirallus watlingi T. H. Worthy, 2004 | |
The Viti Levu rail (Vitirallus watlingi) was a prehistoric flightless bird from Fiji. The Viti Levu rail is thought to have been about the same size as the bar-winged rail (Nesoclopeus poecilopterus) but with a very elongated and slender bill.[1]
The genus name refers to Viti Levu, the island of origin in Fiji; rallus is Latin for rail. The species name watlingi is after the ornithologist Dr Dick Watling.[1]
Remains of this species were discovered in September 1998 at Viti Levu, the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It was first described by Trevor H. Worthy in 2004.[1] The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Worthy, Trevor H. (2004). "The fossil rails (Aves: Rallidae) of Fiji with descriptions of a new genus species". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 34 (3): 295–314. doi:10.1080/03014223.2004.9517768. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- ↑ "Vitirallus watlingi; holotype". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
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