Aves 3D

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Left Femur (Left Upper Leg Bone) of the Rodrigues solitaire Pezophaps solitaria (MCZ 337679)

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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 Femur (Left Upper Leg Bone)
Specimen Number	MCZ 337679
Sex
Location	Rodrigues
Geological Age	Recent
Technical Information
Scanner	Konica Minolta Range7
Resolution	40 µm
Number of Data Points	684218
Number of Data Polygons	342125
Date Scanned	June 16, 2011
Scan Technician	Ariana Masi
Edited By	Ariana Masi
Photographs
View All 6 Images
Download Digital Model	Size
STL File Not Publicly Available	34.2 MB
Other Pezophaps solitaria (Rodrigues solitaire) Elements
Specimen	Element
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	Left Tarsometatarsus (Left Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)
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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