Rallus minutus, 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 : 168-171

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4057.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BADD5843-1566-4BF8-A507-7369C1F5B950
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6119628
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A03A6F74-FFCE-5B71-63D3-142CFD7F5677
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rallus minutus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Rallus minutus , new species

São Jorge rail

[ Figures 7 View FIGURE 7 , 8 View FIGURE 8 I, 9C, 10D, 11E, 12D, 13C, 14C, 15E, 16E, 17E] Artistic reconstruction: Figure 23 View FIGURE 23

Holotype: MCMa 1950.014, associated skeleton (pmx frags, ste frag, LR cors, R scap frag, L hum, uln and uln frag, L cmc, fem frags, tbt and tbt frags, R tmt and prox L tmt, 3 ped phas).

Measurements of holotype (in mm): Humerus—length: 25.6; proximal width: 5.6; minimum shaft width: 1.5; distal width: 4.1. Ulna—length: 17.6; proximal width: 2.5; proximal diameter: 2.4; minimum shaft width: 1.3; distal width: 2.4. Carpometacarpus—length: 11.0; proximal width: 3.4. Femur—proximal width: 5.9; minimum shaft width: 2.2; distal width: 5.7. Tibiotarsus—minimum shaft width: 2.2; distal width: 5.0. Tarsometatarsustotal length: 27.3; proximal width: 5.0; minimum shaft width: 2.5; distal width: 5.5. Scapula—proximal width: 3.6. Coracoid—length: 13.5.

Type locality: Gruta do Pasto do Engenheiro, São Jorge, collected 20 Sept 2014.

Known distribution: São Jorge, Central Azores.

Collectors: all the material was collected on 16–20 Sept 2014 by ET, FP, OT, DS and JAA.

Paratypes: Gruta da Beira: MCMa 1951.014, associated skeleton (pmx frag, man frag, ste frag, L cor, prox L uln, L hum, fem frags, R tbt, L tbt frag, LR tmt, 5 vert); MCMa 1952.014, associated skeleton (pmx frags, dist R tbt, distal R tmt, verts); MCMa 1953.014, associated skeleton (pmx frag, dis R hum, dis R tbt, tmt frag); MCMa 1954.014, associated skeleton (sku frag, pmx frag, man frag, LR fem, 2 LR tbt, LR tmt, 4 verts, 8 phas); MCMa 1955.014, associated skeleton (sku frags, man frag, pmx frags, femur frag, tbt frags, R and dis L tmt, syn frag,, 5 verts, 7 ped phas); MCMa 1956.014, associated material corresponding to two individuals (L uln, prox R fem, tbt frags, LR tmt, tmt frags, syn, 3 ped phas); MCMa 1959.014, associated skeleton (sku, man, dis L tmt, prox L tbt, sha L fem).

Gruta do Pasto do Engenheiro: MCMa 1957.014, associated skeleton (sku frag, fem frags, tbt and tbt frags, tmt frags, syn frag, pha); MCMa 1958.014, associated skeleton (prox R tbt, R tmt, pha).

Measurements of paratypes: see Table 1.

Age: Probably Holocene-Recent.

Diagnosis. A very small species of Rallus . It is smaller than any other rail from Macaronesia and markedly smaller than R. aquaticus . The wing bones are relatively more reduced than in any other Azorean rail, including the São Miguel rail. The bill is very elongated and slightly curved. The humerus has a reduced fossa pneumotricipitalis, the crista bicipitalis is less expanded than in R. aquaticus , and has a reduced and relatively flattened caput. All the bones, especially ulna, carpometacarpus and tarsometatarsus are very reduced in size relative to R. aquaticus ( Figures 12 View FIGURE 12 , 13 View FIGURE 13 and 17 View FIGURE 17 ). The tarsometatarsus is relatively stout ( Figure17 View FIGURE 17 ). The synsacrum ( Figure 14 View FIGURE 14 ) is very broad, and the sternum ( Figure 10 View FIGURE 10 ) presents a very reduced depth to the carina sterni (the most reduced carina recorded among the species described herein).