Sunday, June 10, 2012

>Aerodramus manuoi (Mangaia Swiftlet)

Mangaia Swiftlet


Mangaia Swiftlet
Conservation status
Extinct
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Apodiformes
Family:Apodidae
Genus:Aerodramus
Species:A. manuoi
Binomial name
Aerodramus manuoi
Steadman, 2002
Synonyms
  • Collocalia manuoi
The Mangaia Swiftlet (Aerodramusa manuoi) is an extinct species of bird in the swift family. It became extinct during prehistoric times. It was endemic to Mangaia, Cook Islands. It was closely allied with the extant Atiu Swiftlet (Aerodramus sawtelli) of Atiu, Mangaia's neighbouring island, though it was probably slightly larger.
It was described from six fossil bones recovered from a Holocene rock shelter deposit on Mangaia. The coracoid and carpometacarpus of the new species are larger and very different qualitatively from those of the Atiu species. This is the first species of Aerodramus to be described from fossils.

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