Pteropus coxi, Helgen & Helgen & Wilson, 2009
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1206/614.1 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987F4-7A71-FFAE-744E-165F554744CF |
treatment provided by |
Carolina |
scientific name |
Pteropus coxi |
status |
sp. nov. |
Pteropus coxi View in CoL , new species
HOLOTYPE: The holotype of Pteropus coxi is USNM 3791 View Materials , skull of an adult, probably male, from the ‘‘ Samoan Is. ’’, collected during the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842. The skin of this specimen bore the number 3953 but is now apparently lost (L.K. Gordon, in litt.).
PARATYPE: USNM 3790 View Materials , skull of an adult, probably female, from ‘‘ Samoan Is. ’’, also collected during the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The skin of this specimen bore the number
3952 but, like the holotype skin, is now apparently lost (L.K. Gordon, in litt.).
DIAGNOSIS: Pteropus coxi is a large flying fox similar in cranial conformation to P. samoensis and P. anetianus — with a robust skull featuring a rostrum of moderate length, a mandible with heavily developed posterior processes, and large molars—but considerably larger than P. samoensis and P. anetianus in cranial size, with larger canines and cheekteeth ( figs. 4–6 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 8 View Fig , 10 View Fig , 14 View Fig ). Apart from P. tuberculatus of the Santa Cruz Islands (an outlying island group between the Solomon archipelago and Vanuatu), P. coxi is the only species in the genus in which the very large upper canines sometimes (in the case of P. coxi , in one of the two available specimens) bear a secondary, posterior cusp.
DISTRIBUTION: The U.S. Exploring Expedition visited the Samoan archipelago from 7 October to 10 November in 1839, exploring the islands of Tutuila, Upolu, Savai9i, and the Manua group; some members of the expedition also returned to Upolu for visits in following years (one ship, the Porpoise returned 4-8 September 1840 to Upolu; two ships, the Peacock and Flying Fish, returned 6 February to 6 March 1841; M. Grunes, in litt.). Pteropus coxi is known only by the holotype and paratype, which were collected at some time during the U.S. Exploring Expedition, but localized only generally to the ‘‘Samoan Is.[lands]’’ or ‘‘Samoan Isle’’ on their accompanying labels. We regard P. coxi as a Samoan endemic, although the precise insular extent of its historical distribution
TABLE 4 Specimens of Pteropus from Samoa at USNM Collected during the U.S. Exploring Expedition (all of which apparently comprise the original hypodigm or syntype series of Pteropus samoensis )
Pteropus samoensis Peale, 1858
USNM 3788/3949 ‘‘Samoan Archipelago’’, adult, skin (3949) and skull (3788)
USNM 3789 ‘‘Samoan Arch.’’, adult female, skull, accompanying skin (USNM 3950) missing
USNM 3947 ‘‘Samoan Archip.’’, adult, skin
USNM 4465 ‘‘Samoan Ids’’, adult, skull
USNM 22562 Tutuila Island, adult, skull, accompanying skin (8594) missing
USNM 37860 View Materials /8597 Tutuila Island , adult, skin (8597) and skull (37860). Lectotype of Pteropus samoensis Peale, 1858 ,designated herein (see figs. 12 View Fig , 13 View Fig )
USNM 37861/8593 Olusinga (Olosega) Island, adult male, skin (8593) and skull (37861)
USNM 37862/8596 Tutuila Island, adult female, skin (8596) and skull (37862)
USNM 37878/8595 Upolu Island, adult, skin (8595) and skull (37878)
USNM |
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History |
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