The great ground dove (''Pampusana nui'') is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. It was found in

Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popula ...

in the southern

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

, and in

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

where

subfossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...

bones between 1000 and 2000 years old have been found in the

Marquesas The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in t ...

, as well as between 750 and 1250 years old at the

Fa'ahia Fa'ahia is an early Polynesian occupation site in the north-east of the island of Huahine, in the Society Islands, French Polynesia. With the neighbouring Vaito'otia site, it dates to between 700 CE and 1200 CE. Because much of the site is ...

early occupation site on

Huahine Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group ''(Îles sous le Vent).'' At the 2017 census it had a population of 6,075. ...

in the

Society Islands The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...

.Kirchman & Steadman (2006).

Notes

References

* Kirchman, Jeremy J.; & Steadman, David W. (Online publication 2006). New Species of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) From an Archaeological Site on Huahine, Society Islands. ''Pacific Science'' 60: 28

* Steadman, David W. (1992). New species of ''Gallicolumba'' and ''Macropygia'' (Aves: Columbidae) from archeological sites in Polynesia. In: ''Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, ed Jonathan J. Becker Science series Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County'', 36 (1992): 329–348. * Steadman, David W. (2006). ''Extinction and biogeography of tropical Pacific birds''. University of Chicago Press. * Steadman, David W.; & Pahlavan, Dominique S. (Online publication 21 December 2006). Extinction and biogeography of birds on huahine, society islands, French Polynesia. ''Geoarchaeology'' 7(5): 449–48

Pampusana † † Extinct birds of Oceania Late Quaternary prehistoric birds Holocene extinctions Huahine Fossil taxa described in 1992 Birds described in 1992 {{Columbiformes-stub