Kingdom Animalia Family Columbidae Scientific name Bountyphaps obsoleta Rank Genus | Class Aves Species B. obsoleta Phylum Chordata Order Columbiformes | |
Similar Pigeons and doves, Bird, Saint Helena dove, Columbiformes, Viti Levu giant pigeon | ||
The Henderson archaic pigeon (Bountyphaps obsoleta), or Henderson Island archaic pigeon, is an extinct bird in the Columbidae, or pigeon family. It was described in 2008 as a new genus and species from subfossil remains found on Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group of south-eastern Polynesia.
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Etymology
The genus was named for both the ship HMS Bounty with which, following the famous mutiny, Europeans first discovered the Pitcairn Islands, and for the former bounty the bird provided as food; with the Greek phaps (wild pigeon). The specific epithet comes from the Latin adjective for "extinct" or "forgotten about".
Description and taxonomy
The species was a large pigeon, comparable in size to large species of Columba or Ducula, and larger than the other three species of pigeon it coexisted with on the island. It had relatively small wings for its body size, suggesting that it was a weak flier, though not flightless. It was described from 18 bones from four archaeological sites on Henderson Island, mainly from early Polynesian middens. The affinities of the new genus are uncertain, but comparisons with other taxa suggest that, among living species, it is most closely related to the Nicobar pigeon or the tooth-billed pigeon.
Extinction
The pigeon became extinct following human colonisation of Henderson, an event that had occurred by 1050 CE. Two of the other three species of pigeon on the island also disappeared, as did other birds.