Prehistoric Birds and Bats from the Atiahara Site, Tubuai, Austral Islands, East Polynesia1

The Austral Islands in French Polynesia have a depauperate land bird fauna and until recently have been little investigated archaeologically or paleontologically to know whether this is natural. Here we report an avifaunal assemblage and bones of bats of the genus Pteropus from the Archaic period (c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPacific science Vol. 65; no. 1; p. 69
Main Authors Worthy, Trevor H, Bollt, Robert
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Honolulu University of Hawaii Press 01.01.2011
Subjects
Bats
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Birds
Endangered & extinct species
Islands
Prehistoric era
Austral Islands
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Summary:The Austral Islands in French Polynesia have a depauperate land bird fauna and until recently have been little investigated archaeologically or paleontologically to know whether this is natural. Here we report an avifaunal assemblage and bones of bats of the genus Pteropus from the Archaic period (ca. A.D. 1000-1450) cultural site Atiahara, on Tubuai. Fifteen taxa are reported from the island, and a new species of rail in the genus Gallirallus is described. The data indicate that several petrel species have been extirpated from the island and that former land bird inhabitants included at least two small pigeons and a flightless rail. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0030-8870
1534-6188