Extinction and biogeography of birds on huahine, society islands, French polynesia

Abstract

This study is based upon the identification of336 bird bones from the Fa'ahia archaeological site, Huahine, French Polynesia. The bones represent birds that were killed for their flesh, feathers, or bones by prehistoric Polynesians. The radiocarbon ages of excavated strata a t Fa'ahia range from about 1140 2 90 to 770 2 90 yr B.P. The bird bones represent 15 species of resident seabirds, 15 species of resident landbirds, four migrant species, and one introduced species. The only extinct seabird is a gull, Larus new species, although locally extirpated seabirds are P u f f n u s pacificus, Puffinus natiuztatis, P u f f n u s

A Chronostratigraphic Analysis of Landbird Extinction on Tahuata, Marquesas Islands

“…Critically endangered and confined now to Nuku Hiva (Collar & Andrew, 1988: 66-67;Seitre & Seitre, 1991), D. galeata is a very large pigeon that once occurred across much of East Polynesia (Steadman & Olson, 1985;Steadman, 1989a;Steadman & Kirch, 1990;Steadman & Pahlavan, 1992 Remarks. These bones were reported by Steadman & Zarriello (1987).…”

Counting your chickens: density and distribution of chicken remains in archaeological sites of Oceania

“…4% Green, 1976a,b;Kirch, 1983;McCoy & Cleghorn, 1988;Yen, 1976 15.8% Clark & Michlovic, 1996;Davidson, 1969;Hunt & Kirch, 1988;Janetski, 1980;Kirch & Hunt, 1993;Kirch et al, 1990;Lohse, 1980;Nagaoka, 1993;Smith, 1976;Steadman, 1993bSteadman, , 2006Steadman & Pergill, 2004 Society 33.3% Davidson, 1967;Green & Green, 1967;Leach et al, 1984;Rappaport & Rappaport, 1967;Sinoto & McCoy, 1975;Steadman & Pahlavan, 1992 Burley, 1996aBurley, ,b, 1997Dye, 1987bDye, , 1996Poulsen, 1968Poulsen, , 1987Spennemann, 1989;Steadman, 1993a;…”

“…This possible relationship requires more careful investigation. In Central and Eastern Polynesia the distribution of chicken is also uneven, and the earliest dates recorded in association with chicken remains appear to be from the Cook and Society Islands and date to around 1000-1100 BP (Allen & Steadman, 1990;Steadman & Pahlavan, 1992).…”

New Species of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) from an Archaeological Site on Huahine, Society Islands

“…The three femora of P. mcnabi were among the 50 bones listed as ''Gallirallus new sp.'' in Steadman and Pahlavan (1992). It is likely that bpbm 166031 represents an adult female (smaller), whereas dapt 39 (left) and dapt 53 (right) represent a single juvenile male (larger).…”

“…(6.4-mm) mesh. Of 53 rail bones reported by Steadman and Pahlavan (1992), three were from Porzana tabuensis, a small species that is widespread in Polynesia but that no longer occurs on Huahine. The other 50 bones were assigned to a larger, presumably undescribed, flightless rail, referred to as ''Gallirallus new sp.''…”