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Left Tarsometatarsus (Left Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones) of the Rodrigues solitaire Pezophaps solitaria (MCZ 337680)


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Phylogenic Position
Aves - Neognathae - Columbiformes - Columbidae - Pezophaps - Pezophaps solitaria
Species Description
The Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) was a close relative of the Dodo. Though flightless, it was a member of the Order Columbiformes. The Rodrigues solitaire was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, one of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius. This bird was first recorded by Francois Legaut. The birds became scarce due to hunting and predation by the introduced cats, rats, and pigs of the area. They were easy to catch due to their flightless nature. The only account of their habits is that of Legaut. A pair of these birds would not allow another Rodrigues Solitaire to get near the nest. The males would never drive away the females. If a male was confronted with a female stranger, the male called its partner to chase the stranger away. They were highly territorial. These birds choose a clean place to build nest. They gather palm leaves and heap them up on the ground. The female and male take turns covering. The feathers of the males were brown-grey in color, whereas the females were pale buff, grey or brown. Their neck is straight and long. They had a band of black, velvet-like feathers on the base of the beak. The male was much larger than the female. This bird usually measured at a length of 90 cm. This bird never flies; their wings are too little to support the weight of their bodies. The wings only serve to flutter when they call one another. The bone of their wings grows greater towards the extremity. This forms a round mass under the feathers. This observed mass and its beak are the chief defenses of this bird.
Specimen Information
Species Pezophaps solitaria (Rodrigues solitaire)
Element Left Tarsometatarsus (Left Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)
Specimen Number MCZ 337680
Sex
Location Rodrigues
Geological Age Recent
 
Technical Information
Scanner Konica Minolta Range7
Resolution 40 µm
Number of Data Points 895591
Number of Data Polygons 447717
Date Scanned June 15, 2011
Scan Technician Ariana Masi
Edited By Maggie Johnson
 
Photographs


View All 5 Images

Download Digital Model Size
STL File Not Publicly Available 44.8 MB
Other Pezophaps solitaria (Rodrigues solitaire) Elements
Specimen Element
MCZ 337679 Left Femur (Left Upper Leg Bone)
MCZ 337679 Left Tarsometatarsus (Left Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)
MCZ 337680 Left Humerus (Left Upper Arm Bone)
MCZ 337680 Right Fibula (Right Middle Leg Bone)
MCZ 337680 Right Tarsometatarsus (Right Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)
MCZ 341510 Left Femur (Left Upper Leg Bone)
MCZ 341510 Right Tarsometatarsus (Right Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)
MCZ 341510 Right Tibiotarsus and Fibula (Right Middle Leg Bones)
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