Canary Quail
| Canary Quail | ||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||
| Coturnix gomerae | ||||||||
| Jaume , McMinn & Alcover , 1993 |
The Canary Islands quail ( Coturnix gomerae ) is an extinct species of quail that was native to the Canary Islands . It was described in 1993 using subfossil bones that were found in 1985 in the Bujero del Silo cave on La Gomera . A total of 78 bones from La Gomera are known, representing at least 14 individuals. However, later investigations revealed that it was also common on the islands of Fuerteventura , Tenerife , La Palma and El Hierro .
features
It had smaller wings but longer and more robust legs than the quail ( Coturnix coturnix ) and was probably only partially capable of flight. Her weight was about 150 grams. The upper arm bones of C. gomerae and C. coturnix are essentially identical. The distal end of the bone is less robust in C. gomerae . The ulna of C. gomerae is more arched, shorter and stronger than that of C. coturnix . The diaphyses and the proximal and distal ends of the bones are wider in C. gomerae . The thighbones of the Canary Quail are 10.85 percent longer than that of the quail, while the diaphyses and the distal and proximal bone ends are 30.08, 15.62 and 23.34 percent wider. The tibiotarsus of C. gomerae is also longer and more robust.
die out
When cats and rats spread across the Canary Islands in the 15th century, they sealed the extinction of the Canary Quail.
literature
- D. Jaume, M. McMinn and JA Alcover: Fossil bird from the Bujero del Silo, La Gomera (Canary Islands), with a description of a new species of Quail (Galliformes; Phasianidae). In: Boletin do Museu Municipal de Funchal. 2. 1993, 147-165.
Web links
- Description of the Canary Islands quail (Spanish)