Scarlett's Duck
Encyclopedia
Scarlett's Duck is an extinct duck species from New Zealand
which was closely related to the Australian Pink-eared Duck
(Malacorhynchus membranaceus). The scientific name commemorates the late New Zealand ornithologist
and palaeontologist
Ron Scarlett
who discovered the holotype
in 1941. However, previously undescribed bones of the species found in 1903 were rediscovered in the Otago Museum
in 1998. At least 32 fossil
remains from deposits in Pyramid Valley
, at Ngapara
on South Island
, and at Lake Poukawa
on North Island
are in museum collections.
At 800 g Scarlett's Duck was twice as heavy as the Pink-eared Duck. Given the relatively few fossil remains found, it is assumed that Scarlett's Duck was a largely nomadic and territorial bird. The Pink-eared Duck by comparison is gregarious and can form flocks of thousands.
Like its Australian relative, Scarlett's Duck had a wide, flattened bill, which has led to an assumption that it was a filter feeder
in shallow waters.
Fossil remains found in Māori midden
s in Wairau Bar
and at Lake Grassmere
in the Marlborough
region indicate that it was extensively hunted by the early Polynesia
n settlers. It is presumed to have become extinct in the 16th century.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
which was closely related to the Australian Pink-eared Duck
Pink-eared Duck
The Pink-eared Duck is a species of duck found in Australia.It has a large spatulate bill like the Australasian Shoveler, but is smaller at 38–40 cm length. Its brown back and crown, black and white barred sides and black eye patches on its otherwise white face make this bird unmistakable...
(Malacorhynchus membranaceus). The scientific name commemorates the late New Zealand ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
and palaeontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
Ron Scarlett
Ron Scarlett
Ronald Jack Scarlett MBE better known as Ron Scarlett was a paleozoologist from New Zealand.Scarlett was born at Stoke, near Nelson on March 22, 1911 to Walter Andrew Scarlett and Lilian Elsie . He was the oldest child of four brothers and four sisters...
who discovered the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
in 1941. However, previously undescribed bones of the species found in 1903 were rediscovered in the Otago Museum
Otago museum
The Otago Museum is situated in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded in 1868 and has a collection of over two million artefacts and specimens from the fields of natural history and ethnography...
in 1998. At least 32 fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
remains from deposits in Pyramid Valley
Pyramid Valley
Pyramid Valley is a limestone rock formation near Waikari in the North Canterbury region of New Zealand. It lies 80 km north-west of Christchurch. On the foot of the valley is a swamp which became notable in 1939 as New Zealand's largest paleontological site for moa fossils...
, at Ngapara
Ngapara
Ngapara is a locality in the north Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located in a rural setting 25 km inland from Oamaru. The name of Ngapara is derived from the Māori word for the "tables" or plateaus of limestone in the area.- Economy :...
on South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, and at Lake Poukawa
Lake Poukawa
Lake Poukawa is a small shallow hardwater lake in the Hawke's Bay Region, North Island, New Zealand. It is located about 20 km south-west of Hastings, New Zealand, close to the settlement of Te Hauke. It is the largest lake lying within a peatland in the active tectonic Poukawa depression, between...
on North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
are in museum collections.
At 800 g Scarlett's Duck was twice as heavy as the Pink-eared Duck. Given the relatively few fossil remains found, it is assumed that Scarlett's Duck was a largely nomadic and territorial bird. The Pink-eared Duck by comparison is gregarious and can form flocks of thousands.
Like its Australian relative, Scarlett's Duck had a wide, flattened bill, which has led to an assumption that it was a filter feeder
Filter feeder
Filter feeders are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish and some sharks. Some birds,...
in shallow waters.
Fossil remains found in Māori midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s in Wairau Bar
Wairau Bar
The Wairau Bar, or Te Pokohiwi, is a 19 ha gravel bar formed where the Wairau River meets the sea in Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, north-eastern South Island, New Zealand. It is an important archaeological site, apparently settled within one or two generations of the arrival of Polynesians in New...
and at Lake Grassmere
Lake Grassmere
Lake Grassmere is close to Cook Strait in the northeastern South Island of New Zealand.- Geography :Lake Grassmere, south of Blenheim and south of the mouth of the Awatere River, is a shallow lagoon protected from the open sea by a single barrier beach covered by sand dunes...
in the Marlborough
Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
region indicate that it was extensively hunted by the early Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n settlers. It is presumed to have become extinct in the 16th century.
External links
- Scarlett's Duck. Malacorhynchos scarletti. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006