Mauritius blue pigeonThe Mauritius blue pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissimus) is an extinct species of blue pigeon formerly endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It has two extinct relatives from the Mascarenes and three extant ones from other islands. It is the type species of the genus of blue pigeons, Alectroenas.
Madagascar blue pigeonThe Madagascar blue pigeon or Madagascan blue pigeon (Alectroenas madagascariensis) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. The species is closely related to the other two extant species of blue pigeon, the Comoros blue pigeon and the Seychelles blue pigeon. It is endemic to northern and eastern Madagascar. TaxonomyIn 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Madagascar blue pigeon in his six volume Ornithologie.
Rodrigues blue pigeonThe Rodrigues blue pigeon (Alectroenas payandeei) is an extinct species of blue pigeon which was endemic to Rodrigues. It is known only from the holotypetarsometatarsus collected in 2005, associated with remains of a Rodrigues night heron and a Rodrigues rail. A femur described in 1879 but now lost may also have belonged to the species. It was not specifically mentioned by contemporary writers, and it is therefore unknown when it became extinct.
Type speciesA type species (species typica) is the species considered to be permanently taxonomically associated with the name of a genus or subgenus, and that is used to identify it and distinguish it from others. In modern times, it is normally assigned when the genus or subgenus is first named. Any taxonomic revisions must be done in such a way that the genus or subgenus retains the type species if the genus is to keep its name.
Indian OceanOceanic divisionThe Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km (27,240,000 sq mi) or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica, depending on the definition in use.
Comoro blue pigeonThe Comoro blue pigeon (Alectroenas sganzini) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Comoros and the coralline Seychelles. It is rated as a species of near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. DescriptionThe Comoro blue pigeon measures about 27 centimetres (11 in) in length. The male weighs from 134 to 158 g (4.7 to 5.6 oz), and the female weighs about 117 grams (4.1 oz).
ExtinctionTermination of a species' lineageThe thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) is an example of a recently extinct species.Palaeotherium is an example of an extinct genus that is only recorded from fossil records before the existence of hominids.Extinction is the termination of a species via the death of its last member. A taxon may become functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to reproduce and recover.
Mascarene IslandsThe Mascarene Islands (English: ; French: Mascareignes) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Their name derives from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, who first visited them in April 1512.
Ancient GreekAncient Greek (Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ [hellɛːnikɛ̌ː]) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (c. 1400 – c. 1200 BC), Dark Ages (c. 1200 – c. 800 BC), the Archaic or Homeric period (c. 800 – c. 500 BC), and the Classical period (c. 500 – c. 300 BC).
George Robert GrayGeorge Robert Gray (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother of the zoologist John Edward Gray and the son of the botanist Samuel Frederick Gray.
ColumbidaeColumbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the orderColumbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They feed largely on plant matter, feeding on seeds (granivory), fruit (frugivory), and foliage (folivory).
GenusGenus (; pl.: genera) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. E.g. Panthera leo (lion) and Panthera onca (jaguar) are two species within the genus Panthera.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.