Reappraisal of the parrots (Aves: Psittacidae) from the Mascarene Islands, with comments on their ecology, morphology, and affinities

Abstract

The parrots (Psittacidae: Lophopsittacus, Psittacula, Necropsittacus, Mascarinus) of the Mascarenes (Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues) have been relatively poorly studied. Most analyses have been based on a few skins, insufficient fossil material, and unreliable contemporary accounts and illustrations, which have led to erroneous interpretations. The discovery of new fossil remains of parrots and new interpretations of contemporary descriptions and illustrations has clarified many issues. One problematic species, Lophopsittacus bensoni is here removed to the genus Psittacula. A detailed comparative analysis of fossil skeletal elements indicates that the affinities of the Mascarene parrots lie within the Psittaculini, a wide ranging tribe of parrots that occurs mainly in Southeast Asia and Australasia. The Mascarenes are remote volcanic islands and biogeographical evidence presented here suggests that parrots reached this isolated group by island-hopping from India, probably during low sea level stands.

Biogeography and diversification of hermit spiders on Indian Ocean islands (Nephilidae: Nephilengys)

“…For example, parrots reached the Mascarene islands by island-hopping from India (Hume, 2007), while Jonsson and Fjeldsa (2006) established that the African lineage of oscine passerine birds had its origin in Australia, and dispersed to Africa over the Indian Ocean. Similarly, a radiation of coastal lizards (Cryptoblepharus) originated in Australasia and reached Madagascar by transoceanic dispersal, where it diversified, then colonized Africa, Comoros and Mauritius.…”

“…However, existing calibrated phylogenies for vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants are only rarely compatible with the vicariant model (Yoder and Nowak, 2006). Thus, the Cenozoic model seems to apply to more lineages of Madagascar fauna and flora (Yoder and Nowak, 2006), in particular to vertebrates (Vences et al, 2001;Raxworthy et al, 2002;Hume, 2007) and especially mammals (Tattersall, 2006;Masters et al, 2006Masters et al, , 2007Russell et al, 2008).…”

“…Colonizers might also have come from mainland Eurasia (Dijkstra, 2007;Hume, 2007;Cumberlidge, 2008), or from Australia via Indomalaya (Jonsson and Fjeldsa, 2006). Finally, they may be recent arrivals brought to the islands by humans (Vences et al, 2004).…”

“…Finally, they may be recent arrivals brought to the islands by humans (Vences et al, 2004). Studies on the origin of the terrestrial biotas of these islands, especially the smaller ones, are relatively few (e.g., Austin et al, 2004;Vences et al, 2004;Rocha et al, 2005Rocha et al, , 2006Hume, 2007;Raxworthy et al, 2007), yet these islands offer a unique system to study oceanic speciation and the role of dispersal ability in the generation of biodiversity. In particular, clades that are present on both the African and Asian mainland and have colonized a number of the islands in the Indian Ocean offer us a chance to reveal common patterns of colonization and processes of diversification.…”

A new subfossil bulbul (Aves: Passerines: Pycnonotidae) from Rodrigues Island, Mascarenes, south-western Indian Ocean

“…The black rat was already a pest at the time of their stay on Rodrigues, having been introduced c. 1675 or perhaps much earlier (Cheke and Hume 2008;Hume 2013), and both noted that some of the landbirds were restricted to offshore islands, coming to the mainland only to drink water (Hume 2007(Hume , 2011(Hume , 2014. Cats were introduced in c. 1745 to control rats, but turned their attention instead on the native birds and juvenile tortoises (Cheke and Hume 2008).…”