Rodrigues Grey Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Rodrigues Grey Pigeon is an extinct species of pigeon formerly endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues
. It is known from a subfossil
sternum
and some other bones, and the descriptions of Leguat
(1708) and Julien Tafforet (1726). It was a bird the size of a Tambourine Dove
and colored slate grey. Leguat and his companions took a fancy to these tame and confiding birds and had several dozen birds attending their outdoor table at mealtime to wait for scraps; they were especially fond of melon seeds. In 1693, the bird was found foraging on the island, but nested only on offshore islets which the rats that had been introduced at some time in the 17th century had not yet reached.
This bird is usually assigned to the genus Alectroenas, but this is erroneous. In reality, it probably belongs to an undescribed genus, as the sternum's shape is very dissimilar in its details to that of Alectroenas or Columba, and indeed to any other living genus of pigeons and doves. It is most similar to that of the Gallicolumba
ground doves or to a miniature version of the sternum of a Ducula
imperial pigeon. If this similarity is not based on convergence
, considering the evolutionary relationships of the dodo
and the Rodrigues Solitaire
, the Rodrigues Grey Pigeon is quite possibly the closest relative of the Raphidae
that was still alive in historic times. This does not mean that there is any close relationship between this bird and the didine pigeons, only that both derived, independently, from the same Indo-Asiatic lineage, which became extinct millions of years ago.
Two tarsometatarsi
were attributed to this species later, but they in all likelihood belonged to another species, the Rodrigues Turtle-dove. This bird was not mentioned in historical accounts; the most likely explanation is that it did not manage to colonize the offshore islets before being killed off by the rats and thus became extinct before 1690. A humerus
of this taxon apparently is also known.
The enigmatic report of a slate grey pigeon that occurred on Rodrigues
, if not referring to the presumed local species of Alectroenas, could indicate a relative of the Rodrigues species. See Réunion Pink Pigeon
for more details.
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
. It is known from a subfossil
Subfossil
Subfossil refers to remains whose fossilization process is not complete, either for lack of time or because the conditions in which they were buried were not optimal for fossilization....
sternum
Sternum
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bony plate shaped like a capital "T" located anteriorly to the heart in the center of the thorax...
and some other bones, and the descriptions of Leguat
François Leguat
François Leguat was a French explorer and naturalist.Leguat was a French Huguenot originating from the Province of Bresse, now part of the department of Ain, who fled to Holland in 1689 after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685...
(1708) and Julien Tafforet (1726). It was a bird the size of a Tambourine Dove
Tambourine Dove
The Tambourine Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent...
and colored slate grey. Leguat and his companions took a fancy to these tame and confiding birds and had several dozen birds attending their outdoor table at mealtime to wait for scraps; they were especially fond of melon seeds. In 1693, the bird was found foraging on the island, but nested only on offshore islets which the rats that had been introduced at some time in the 17th century had not yet reached.
This bird is usually assigned to the genus Alectroenas, but this is erroneous. In reality, it probably belongs to an undescribed genus, as the sternum's shape is very dissimilar in its details to that of Alectroenas or Columba, and indeed to any other living genus of pigeons and doves. It is most similar to that of the Gallicolumba
Gallicolumba
Gallicolumba is a mid-sized genus of ground-dwelling doves which occur in rainforests on the Philippines, Indonesia, and in the Pacific region. They are not closely related to the American ground-doves...
ground doves or to a miniature version of the sternum of a Ducula
Ducula
Ducula is a genus of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae; these pigeons are very large and are called imperial pigeons. Most imperial pigeon species show contrasting light coloration of the head, neck, and belly with darker back and wings...
imperial pigeon. If this similarity is not based on convergence
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
, considering the evolutionary relationships of the dodo
Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
and the Rodrigues Solitaire
Rodrigues Solitaire
The Rodrigues Solitaire was a flightless member of the pigeon order endemic to Rodrigues, Mauritius. It was a close relative of the Dodo.-Discovery:...
, the Rodrigues Grey Pigeon is quite possibly the closest relative of the Raphidae
Raphidae
The Raphinae are a subfamily of extinct flightless birds colloquially called didines or didine birds. They inhabited the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, but became extinct through hunting by humans and predation by introduced non-native mammals following human colonisation in the 17th...
that was still alive in historic times. This does not mean that there is any close relationship between this bird and the didine pigeons, only that both derived, independently, from the same Indo-Asiatic lineage, which became extinct millions of years ago.
Two tarsometatarsi
Tarsometatarsus
The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is found in the lower leg of certain tetrapods, namely birds.It is formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsal and metatarsal bones...
were attributed to this species later, but they in all likelihood belonged to another species, the Rodrigues Turtle-dove. This bird was not mentioned in historical accounts; the most likely explanation is that it did not manage to colonize the offshore islets before being killed off by the rats and thus became extinct before 1690. A humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
of this taxon apparently is also known.
The enigmatic report of a slate grey pigeon that occurred on Rodrigues
Rodrigues
Rodrigues is a common surname in the Portuguese language. It was originally a Patronymic, meaning Son of Rodrigo or Son of Rui. The "es" signifies "son of". The name Rodrigo is the Portuguese form of Roderick, meaning "famous power" or "famous ruler", from the Germanic elements "hrod" and "ric" ,...
, if not referring to the presumed local species of Alectroenas, could indicate a relative of the Rodrigues species. See Réunion Pink Pigeon
Réunion Pink Pigeon
The Réunion Pink Pigeon is an extinct species of pigeon that formerly lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion. It is known from the description of a rusty-red pigeon given by Dubois in 1674 and a single subfossil humerus that agrees with that of the Pink Pigeon of Mauritius in generic...
for more details.