Giant Nukupu‘u

Hemignathus vorpalis is an extinct species of the subfamily of dresses birds. It has been known only by subfossil type material which was discovered in 1993 in the Petrel Cave ( a lava tube at 1,200 meters ) on the island of Hawaii and described in 2003. Hemignathus vorpalis died from about 3000-1500 years ago.

Features

The holotype is an incomplete skeleton from the significant portion of an upper jaw bone, the mandibular symphysis with the intervening parts of the left and right mandible, a skull fragment, the proximal end and the shaft of the left humerus, the distal end and a part of the left the shaft of the ulna, the left tibiotarsus lacking the distal end, the right- Tt to which both the distal end and the major part of the shin combs missing the left tarsometatarsus with abraded proximal end and from the proximal half of the right tarsometatarsus with abraded proximal end there. The beak of Hemignathus vorpalis combines a long saber -like upper beak with a much shorter lower mandible. However, although Hemignathus shares vorpalis the beak shape with the other members of the genus Hemignathus, it differs with respect to this type of beak morphology and by the larger body. Because of the postcranial dimensions can be assumed that Hemignatus vorpalis was one of the largest known dresses birds. The saber -shaped beak is probably an adaptation to the drilling into cracks or gaps for capture of invertebrates. Probably Hemignathus had more of a ground-dwelling lifestyle vorpalis and used his beak in a similar manner as do the Kiwis or the Wekarallen today.

Etymology

The name " vorpalis " derives from the adjective vorpal from that used by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky. In the text line " He Took his vorpal sword in hand ... The vorpal blade went snicker - snack", the words and sword blade can be modified. This is an allusion to the long saber -shaped upper mandible of its kind