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Two New Species of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) from Mangaia, Southern Cook Islands!

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Two New Species of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) from Mangaia, Southern Cook Islands! Pacific Science (1986), vol. 40, nos . \ ...:4 © \987 by the University of Hawaii Press. All rights reserved Two New Species of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) from Mangaia, Southern Cook Islands! DAVID W. STEADMAN2 ABSTRACT: Two species of rails, Porzana rua n. sp. and Gallirallus ripleyi n. sp., are described from bones oflate Holocene age found in caves on Mangaia, southern Cook Islands. Their relatively small pectoral elements show that both of these species were flightless. Porzana rua resembles most closely the living P. atra of Henderson Island and the recently extinct P. monasa of Kosrae Island, Carolines. Gallirallus ripleyi is most similar to the recently extinct G. wakensis of Wake Island. Some combination of predation and habitat alteration by humans and introduced mammals (rats, dogs, and pigs) is probably responsible for the extinction of P. rua and G. ripleyi within the past 1000 years. Fossils of a third species ofrail from the Mangaian caves are referred to the living species Porzana tabuensis, although these specimens may represent an undescribed subspecies. Porzana tabuensis might survive on Mangaia and elsewhere in the southern Cook Islands, although entire specimens have never been collected . An X ray of the only two specimens (skins) of Porzana monasa (Kittlitz) shows that this species from Kosrae (Kusai) Island, Carolines, was flightless or nearly so. It is likely that all islands in the Pacific were inhabited by one or more species of flightless rail before the arrival ofhumans. In both Porzana and Gallirallus, at least one early wave of colonization produced flightless species throughout Oceania, followed by a less ihorough and much more recent (probably late Holocene) wave of colonization by the volant P. tabuensis and G. philippensis. IN 1984AND 1985, I conducted a survey ofthe METHODOLOGY fossil and modern vertebrates ofthe southern All fossils are cataloged in the Vertebrate Cook Islands, a scattered group of eastern Paleontology collections ofthe U.S . National Polynesian islands that has been largely Museum ofNatural History, Smithsonian In­ ignored by vertebrate biologists. During 5 stitution (USNM). Skeletons used in the com­ weeks on Mangaia, the second largest and parisons are from USNM , except for that of southernmost of the Cook Islands, I collected Porzana atra from the American Museum of fossils from six different caves in the limestone Natural History (AMNH 1220). Osteological "rnakatea" region of the island . I have briefly nomenclature usually follows Baumel et al. reported elsewhere on Mangaia, its caves, and (1979). Measurements were taken with dial fossils from the 1984 collections (Steadman calipers with 0.05 mm increments and rounded 1985). Here I decribe the fossils of three to the nearest 0.1 mm. All fossils were col­ species ofrails from the Mangaian caves, two lected from surface levels. Most of the fossils ofwhich are new. were encrusted with calcitic deposits that were removed by etching with dilute acetic acid. I Manuscript accepted April 1986. Fieldwork was SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY funded by the Smithsonian Institution (Fluid Research Class Aves Fund, Scholarl y Studies Program, Smithsonian World Television). Order Gruiformes 2 New York State Biological Survey, State Education Family Rallidae Department, Albany, NY 12230. Genus Porzana Vieillot 1816 27 28 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 40, 1986 Porzana differs from the only other genus of P. palmeri, or P. astrictocarpus. Humerus: small rail in Oceania (Poliolimnas) in the fol­ stouter and straighter than in P . atra, P . lowing respects: the femur with a relatively tabuensis, or P. astrictocarpus, with crista pec­ stouter shaft; the tibiotarsus with a relatively toralis rotated more ventrally, producing a stouter shaft, especially in the distal end; and weak proximal portion of the shaft. Ulna: the tars ometatarsus with a more prominent straighter than in P. atra, P. tabuensis, P. ridge on the proximomedial portion of the palmeri, or P. astrictocarpus, with a smaller shaft and a longer crista media lis hypotarsi. cotyla dorsalis. Femur: stouter than in P. atra These characters corroborate those of Olson or P. tabuensis, with a larger facies articularis (1970) in maintaining Poliolimnas as distinct acetabularis and a better developed impres­ from, although closely related to, Porzana. siones obturatoriae. Tibiotarsus: relatively stouter than in P. tabuensis. Tarsometatarsus: shaft more slender in medial aspect than in Porzana rua , n. sp. P. atra. HOLOTYPE: Associated complete humerus ETYMOLOGY: From the Mangaian and Raro­ and two tarsometatarsi (Figure 1), USNM tongan word rua, meaning "hole, excavation, 402876, collected 13 April 1984, by D. W. grave, abyss, cavity, pit, opening, chasm, etc." Steadman and T. Ngatokorua, in Te Rua (Savage 1980: 317). As used here, rua refers Rere Cave, Tava'enga District, Mangaia, both to "cave" and "grave," because the lime­ southern Cook Islands, lying on the cave stone caves from which the specimens were floor, about 460 m from the entrance. collected served as the final resting places for this and many other species ofextinct birds, as TOPOTYPICAL PARATYPES: Associated ulna, well as for numerous persons. Te Rua Rere, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus (USNM the cave that is the type locality of P. rua, 402877); four tibiotarsi (USNM 402878­ means "flying cave" or "jumpingcave." (Thus 402881); -tarsornetatarsus (USNM 402882), collected from 3 to 17 April 1984, by D. W. the English Te Rua Rere "Cave'iis redundant Steadman and T. Ngatokorua. Associated but is retained for the sake of English­ ulna, femur, two tibiotarsi, and tarsometa­ speaking persons.) As used here, rua is a femi­ nine noun in apposition. tarsus (USNM 402883), ulna (USNM 402884), associated two tibiotarsi and tarsometatarsus (USNM 402885), tarsometatarsus (USNM Porzana tabuensis (Gmelin) 1789, subspecies 402886), collected 6 June 1985, by D. W. uncertain Steadman, T. Ngatokorua, and S. Falcone. REFERRED MATERIAL: Toruapuru Cave, ADDITIONAL PARATYPES: Toruapuru Cave Ivirua District, Mangaia: nearly complete (Ivirua District), collected 6 April 1984, by associated skeleton (USNM 402890), collected D. W. Steadman, M. Ora, Ng. Ora, and 6 April 1984byD. W. Steadman, M. Ora, Ng. T. Ngatokorua: humerus (USNM 402887). Ora, and T. Ngatokorua. Te Rua Rere Cave, Tapukeu Cave (Tamarua District), collected Tava'enga District: humerus and tarsometa­ 14 April 1984, by D. W. Steadman: tarsome­ tarsus (USNM 402891), collected in 1983 by tatarsus (USNM 402888). Tuatini Cave (Veita­ G. Paulay; humerus (USNM 402892) and tar­ tei District), collected 9 June 1985, by D. W. sometatarsus (USNM 402893), collected 13 and Steadman and P. Kareroa: femur (USNM 17 April 1984 by D. W. Steadman and 402889). T. Ngatokorua; tibiotarsus (USNM 402894), DIAGNOSIS: A medium-sized species ofPor­ collected on 6 June 1985 by D. W. Steadman, zana (Tables 1-5) with pectoral elements of T. Ngatokorua, and S. Falcone. the skeleton relatively more reduced (Table 6) Along with the fossils of extinct rails, the than in any congener except P. astrictocarpus Mangaian caves yielded five lots offossils that Olson 1973a of St. Helena Island, South At­ I refer to the living P. tabuensis. These speci­ lantic . Overall size larger than in P. tabuensis, mens, particularly the nearly complete, as- FIGURE I. Holotype of Porzana rua, new species (USNM 402876). Associated humerus (A) and two tarsometat arsi (B, e ) before (I) and after (II, III) preparation. Scale bar = 1 em. 30 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 40, 1986 TABLE I TABLE 2 THE HUMERUS OF Porzana THE ULNA OF Porzana SPECIES, TOTAL PROXIMAL DISTAL MINIMUM LOCALITY, LENGTH WIDTH WIDTH SPECIES, TOTAL DEPTH OF AND SEX (mm) (mm) (mm) LOCALITY, LENGTH SHAFT AND SEX (mm) (mm) P. rua, n. sp. 25.2 4.9 3.8 Mangaia III P. rua, n. sp. 19.4 1.1 (USNM 402876) Mangaia 19.0-19.7 1.0-1.1 P. tabuensis 25.8 4.8 3.4 (USNM 402877, 402883, Tonga ~ III 402884) 3 3 P. tabuensis 26.0 5.0 3.8 P. tabuensis 19.8 1.1 Mangaia II 3.7-3.8 Tonga I I (USNM 402890, P. tabuensis 20.6 1.2 402892) 2 Mangaia I I P. atra 28.4 5.6 3.9 (USNM 402890) Henderson Island III P. atra 21.4 1.2 P.palmeri 19.9 4.1 2.9 Henderson Island I I Laysan Island 19.0-20.7 3.9-4.2 2.8-3.0 P.palmeri 14.8 0.9 8 8 8 Laysan Island 14.3-15.4 0.8-1.0 P. astrictocarpus 20.2 4.2 3.1 9 9 St. Helena Island 19.8-20.9 4.0-4.3 3.0-3.2 P. astrictocarpus 14.8 from Olson St. Helena Island I (1973a) 4 4 4 from Olson (1973a) P. pusilla 28.0 5.5 3.8 P. pusilla 23.0 1.3 China (M) III China(M) I I Pi fusca 32.4 6.3 4.4 Pi fusca 27.2 1.3 Thailand (M) III Thailand (M) I I P.porzana 35.3 7.2 4.9 P.porzana 30.4 1.6 Cyprus (M) III Cyprus (M) I I P. carolina 34.1 6.5 4.7 P. carolina 28.3 1.5 California (M) III California (M) I I NOTE: M = male; F = female. Mean, range, and sample size NOTE: M = male; F = female. Mean, range, and sample size are given. are given. sociated skeleton from Toruapuru Cave and Mangaia and possibly elsewhere." (USNM 402890, certain elements of which are Holyoak and Thibault (1984: 66) report that depicted in Figure 2), show that P. tabuensis P. tabuensis is known to Mangaians according from Mangaia is larger with a relatively more to C. C. Clerk (in litt.). The current status ofP. reduced wing than in the only available mod­ tabuensis on Mangaia is discussed below ern skeleton of P. tabuensis (USNM 345124),an under "Extinction." unsexed bird from an unspecified island in Tonga.
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