Rapa Nui Rail (Rallidae gen. & sp.)

This taxon is known from a single bone that was excavated from archeological deposits on the island of Rapa Nui.

The remains cannot be assigned to any known genus and are of course to scarce for a proper description, yet they show that the island was originally inhabited by at least two different rail species.

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 03.02.2024