Rallus adolfocaesaris, Alcover, Josep Antoni, Pieper, Harald, Pereira, Fernando & Rando, Juan Carlos, 2015

Alcover, Josep Antoni, Pieper, Harald, Pereira, Fernando & Rando, Juan Carlos, 2015, Five new extinct species of rails (Aves: Gruiformes: Rallidae) from the Macaronesian Islands (North Atlantic Ocean), Zootaxa 4057 (2), pp. 151-190 : 157-160

Rallus adolfocaesaris , new species

Porto Santo rail

[ Figures 3 , 8 H, 11B, 15B, 16B, 17B] Artistic reconstruction: Figure 23

Holotype: MMF 43444, R tmt.

Type locality: Porto dos Frades, Porto Santo, 1985.

Collectors: All the paratypes were collected by HP and OR, except those that are specifically attributed to a different collector.

Measurements of holotype: total length, 33.4 mm; proximal width, 5.7 mm; diaphysis width, 2.8 mm; distal width, 5.8 mm.

Paratypes: Fonte da Areia: MMF 43445, R tmt, 1981; MMF 43453, R fem, 1984. Porto dos Frades: MMF 43446, L tmt, 22 June1983, coll. KG; MMF 43447, L tbt, 1994; MMF 43448, R tbt, 12 Aug 1984, coll. KG; MMF 43449, R tbt, 1985; MMF 43450, pmx frag, 1985; MMF 43451, R hum frag, 1985.

Measurements of paratypes (following the order of the specimens listed above): Tarsometatarsus—total length, 33.4, 31.4, 33.4 mm; proximal width, 4.8, 5.1, 5.7 mm; diaphysis width, 2.6, 2.6, 2.8 mm; distal width, 5.5, 5.3, 5.8 mm. Tibiotarsus—total length, 52.0, -, - mm; medial length: 50.2, 50.8, 52.3; proximal width, 6.9, -, - mm; diaphysis width, 2.3, 2.6, 2.6 mm; distal width, 5.0, 5.2, 5.0 mm. Femur—total length, 38.6 mm; proximal width, 7.3 mm; diaphysis width, 3.0 mm. Humerus—total length, - mm (c. 33 mm); diaphysis width, 2.2 mm; distal width, 5.1 mm.

Age: Undetermined Late Quaternary age (from Late Pleistocene to Late Holocene).

Diagnosis. R. adolfocaesaris n. sp. is a species of Rallus that is overall smaller than Rallus aquaticus , and has relatively gracile legs. The humerus is larger than that of R. lowei n. sp., but smaller than that of R. aquaticus . The femur is c. 7% shorter than in Rallus aquaticus , while the tibiotarsus is 19% shorter, the tarsometatarsus being proportionately the shortest leg bone (20%). The femur is slightly larger than in R. montivagorum n. sp. The tibiotarsus and particularly the tarsometatarsus are considerably more slender than in R. lowei n. sp. ( Figures 16 B, 17B). The tarsometatarsus is more gracile than that of R. lowei n. sp. and longer and more gracile than those of R. carvaoensis n. sp. and R. minutus n. sp. ( Figure 17 B; Table 1).

TABLE 1. Measurements (1-29) of Rallus lowei n. sp., R. adolfocaesaris n. sp., R. carvaoensis n. sp., R. montivagorum n. sp., Rallus minutus n.sp., Rallus sp. A, Rallus sp. B, Rallus sp. C and R. aquaticus : sample size, mean length ± standard error (mm), and range. Measurements as in McMinn et al (2005) and von den Driesch (1976) [see text].

R. lowei R. adolfocaesaris R. carvaoensis R. montivagorum R.minutus Rallus sp. A Rallus sp. B Rallus sp. C R.aquaticus Madeira Porto Santo São Miguel Pico São Jorge Graciosa Terceira Santa Maria Europe Radius

13Length - - - - (2)23.1±0.4 (34)28.8±1.4 [22.8-23.5] [25.6-31.2] ……continued on the next page TABLE 1. (Continued)

R. lowei R. adolfocaesaris R. carvaoensis R. montivagorum R.minutus Rallus sp. A Rallus sp. B Rallus sp. C R. aquaticus Madeira Porto Santo São Miguel Pico São Jorge Graciosa Terceira Santa Maria Europe

Carpometacarpus

Length - - (1)14.9 (14)18.9±1.5 (1) 11.0 (1) 17.3 (2) 17.5±0.2 (33)21.5±1 [16.7-21.5] [17.3-17.7] [19.4-23.3] Proximal width - - (1) 3.7 (15) 4.8±0.5 (1) 3.4 (1) 4.5 (33) 4.7±0.2 [4.2-5.8] [4.2-5.1] Distal width - - (1) 2.1 (14) 2.8±0.3 (1) 2.4 (2) 2.8 (33)2.7±0.2 [2.3-3.4] [2.8-2.9] [2.2-3.1]

Femur

Etymology. Dedicated to Adolfo César de Noronha for his contributions to the biology and paleontology of Madeira ( Clode 1984, da Silva and de Meneses 1984). He was born 9 Sept 1873 in Funchal /Madeira and died there 6 Apr 1963. After his education in Madeira and on the Portuguese mainland he was librarian at the Biblioteca Municipal do Funchal and after 1928 its director. Later he also became the first director of the Museu de Historia Natural (as it is now termed) which was established in 1929. During his long life he published together with A.A. Sarmento "Vertebrados da Madeira" in 1948, and numerous other papers, mainly on the marine fishes of the Madeiran Archipelago, but also on crustaceans and birds. He also collected plants and fossils, including fossil bird bones in São Lourenço in the early years of last century, and these are still conserved in the MHNF.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Type series of Rallus adolfocaesaris n. sp. C, Holotype, MMF 43444, R tarsometatarsus (left, dorsal, and right, plantar view in bones B – D). A – B, D – I, Paratypes. A, MMF 43451, R humerus (left, caudal, and right, cranial view). B, MMF 43445, R tarsometatarsus. D, MMF 43446, L tarsometatarsus; E, MMF 43453, R femur. F, MMF 43447, L tibiotarsus (left, cranial, and right, caudal view in bones F – H, and E). G, MMF 43448, R tibiotarsus. MMF 43449, H, R tibiotarsus. I, MMF 43450, premaxilla (dorsal and ventral views). Scale bar: 2 cm.

FIGURE 8. Skulls and premaxillae of Rallus spp. A, Rallus aquaticus IMEDEA 12474. B, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp. IMEDEA 104069. C, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp. MCMa 1801.013. D, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp. MCMa 1804.013. E, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp. MCMa 1812.013. F, Rallus montivagorum n. sp., DZUL 3185, (paratype). G, Rallus lowei n. sp., MMF 43421, (paratype). H, Rallus adolfocaesaris n. sp., MMF 43450, Porto (paratype). I, Rallus minutus n. sp., MCMa 1950.014. 1, dorsal view. 2, ventral view. 3, lateral view. Scale bar: 2 cm.

FIGURE 16. Tibiotarsi of Rallus spp. A, Rallus lowei n. sp., MMF 43426 / 43427, R tibiotarsus (paratype) (specular image). B, Rallus adolfocaesaris n. sp., MMF 43447, L tibiotarsus, (paratype). C, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp., IMEDEA 104068, L tibiotarsus. D, Rallus montivagorum n. sp., IMEDEA 104097, R tibiotarsus (specular image). E, Rallus minutus n. sp. MCMa 1951.014, R tibiotarsus (specular image). F, Rallus aquaticus, IMEDEA 12474, R tibiotarsus (specular image). 1, cranial view. 2, caudal view. Scale bar: 2 cm.

FIGURE 17. Tarsometatarsi of Rallus spp. A, Rallus lowei n. sp., MMF 43419, R tarsometatarsus (paratype). B, Rallus adolfocaesaris n. sp., MMF 43445, R tarsometatarsus (paratype). C, Rallus carvaoensis n. sp., IMEDEA 104068, R tarsometatarsus. D, Rallus montivagorum n. sp., MCMa 1949.014, R tarsometatarsus. E, Rallus minutus n. sp., MCMa 1951.014, R tarsometatarsus. F, Rallus aquaticus IMEDEA 12474, R tarsometatarsus. 1, dorsal view. 2, plantar view. Scale bar: 2 cm.

FIGURE 23. Artist reconstruction of the Rallus species described. Colours are speculative. Art: Pau Oliver.