Ua Huka Rail

Gallirallus gracilitibia is an extinct, small to mid-sized Rail in the genus Gallirallus. She was petite built than any other members of this genus.

The characteristics of the coracoid bone ( coracoid ) and humerus as well as their size relative to the unusually graceful leg bones indicate that the species was flightless. The Epitethon the type gracilitibia is composed of the Latin words gracilis " petite, thin, delicate " for tibia and the tibia together and plays on the unusually delicate construction of the lower leg bone ( tibiotarsus ) of this kind of. The bones were placed individually on the same archaeological site on the island of Ua Huka, which belongs to the Marquesas Islands and lies in the Southeastern Pacific, found and derived from at least eight different individuals.

Source

• Jeremy J. Kirchman and David W. Steadman: New Species of Extinct Rails ( Aves: Rallidae ) from Archaeological Sites in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. Pacific Science, Volume 61, Issue 1 ( January 2007) doi: 10.1353/psc.2007.0008

• Rallidae
• Rail birds
• Extinct bird