Tongoenas
| Tongoenas Temporal range: Late Pleistocene-Holocene,
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|---|---|
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| Subfossil remains | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | †Tongoenas Steadman & Takano, 2020 |
| Species: | †T. burleyi
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| Binomial name | |
| †Tongoenas burleyi Steadman & Takano, 2020
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Tongoenas, also known as the Tongan giant pigeon, is an extinct genus of giant pigeon that grew up to 51 centimetres (20 in) long that was once native to the islands of Tonga. It has existed for at least 60,000 years, and went extinct around 850-600 BC. The type species and only known species, T. burleyi, was named in 2020 based on subfossil remains.[1]
Description
Tongoenas was found in a cave, only known from subfossil remains, and was thought to have been killed and eaten by early human settlers on the Pacific Islands. It is known from Foa, Lifuka, `Uiha, Ha`afeva, Tongatapu, and `Eua. The scientists exploring the islands noticed that the trees on the island were larger than expected, with big fleshy fruits dangling from the branches. Lead author David W. Steadman said this:[2]
Some of these trees have big, fleshy fruit, clearly adapted for a big pigeon to gulp whole and pass the seeds,
— D. Steadman
He continued;[2]
Of the fruit-eating pigeons, this bird is the largest and could have gulped bigger canopy fruit than any others. It takes co-evolution to the extreme
— Steadman
Tongoenas was able to swallow fruits as large as a tennis ball. It was considered osteologically comparable to Ducula, Gymnophaps, and Hemiphaga[1]
Paleoecology
Tongoenas had the ability to take flight, and lived high in the canopies, and is the largest known volant columbid aside from living Goura species.Tongoenas went extinct after the arrival of humans on the Pacific Islands. Since Tongoenas co-evolved with guava, mango and the chinaberry lineages, Tongoenas served as a crucial seed disperser, alongside an extinct Ducula species, Ducula shutleri.[1]
Extinction
Since Tongoenas was eaten by the humans who settled on 'Eua, it is likely that Tongoenas was hunted to extinction by humans. It went extinct around 850-600 BC.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d David W. Steadman; Oona M. Takano (2020). "A new genus and species of pigeon (Aves, Columbidae) from the Kingdom of Tonga, with an evaluation of hindlimb osteology of columbids from Oceania". Zootaxa. 4810 (3): 401–420. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4810.3.1.
- ^ a b "Giant fruit-gulping pigeon eaten into extinction on Pacific islands". Florida Museum. Retrieved 12 September 2020.