Mwalau

Mwalau; Temporal range: Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Megapodiidae
Genus:	†Mwalau; Worthy, Hawkins, Bedford & Spriggs, 2015
Species:	†M. walterlinii
Binomial name
	†Mwalau walterlinii; Worthy, Hawkins, Bedford & Spriggs, 2015

Mwalau walterlinii is an extinct species of megapode from Vanuatu, and the only species in the genus Mwalau. The holotype and only known specimen is from the Teouma archeological site on the island of Efate. It was built in similar proportion to the extant Australian brushturkey, and, like that species, could fly. It is distinguishable from other extant megapodes by its large size, though it is smaller than the extinct giant malleefowl.^[1]

The scientific and common name honor the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Walter Lini. The name of the genus comes from the Laipta name for megapodes.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Worthy, Trevor; Hawkins, Stuart; Bedford, Stuart; Spriggs, Matthew (July 2015). "Avifauna from the Teouma Lapita Site, Efate Island, Vanuatu, Including a New Genus and Species of Megapode". Pacific Science. 69 (2): 205–254. doi:10.2984/69.2.6. hdl:2328/35948. S2CID 83687153. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

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[desc-1] Worthy, Trevor; Hawkins, Stuart; Bedford, Stuart; Spriggs, Matthew (July 2015). "Avifauna from the Teouma Lapita Site, Efate Island, Vanuatu, Including a New Genus and Species of Megapode". Pacific Science. 69 (2): 205–254. doi:10.2984/69.2.6. hdl:2328/35948. S2CID 83687153. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

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