Rallus lowei Alcover, Pieper, Pereira & Rando, 2015, new species

Rallus lowei new species

Madeira rail

[Figures 2, 8 G, 11A, 12A, 14A, 15A, 16A, 17A] Artistic reconstruction: Figure 23

Holotype: MMF 43411, L tmt.

Type locality: “ Ribeira Groh”, Ponta de São Lourenço, Madeira, 6 Apr 1984.

Collectors: All the paratypes were collected by HP and OR, except those that are specifically attributed to other collectors.

Measurements of the holotype: total length, 35.7 mm; proximal width, 6.6 mm; minimum shaft width, 3.7 mm; distal width, 7.25 mm.

Paratypes: “Ribeira Groh”: MMF 43412, L tmt, 8 Apr 1984; MMF 43413, R tmt, 9 Apr 1984; MMF 43416, L uln, 10/ 11 Sept 1988; MMF 43419, R tmt, 15/16/ 20 Nov 1990; Ponta de São Lourenço: MMF 43414, dis L hum, 1994, coll. G.E. Maul. “Main Sand Place”: MMF 43415, R uln, 1985; MMF 43417, R fem, 11/ 12 Nov 1985; MMF 43418, L uln, 11/ 12 Nov 1985; MMF 43420, L fem, 15/ 16 Sept 1990; MMF 43421, pmx, 9/10/ 16 May 1992; MMF, 43422, man, 17/ 18 Nov 1994; MMF 43423, R fem, 17/ 18 Sept 1994; MMF 43424, L tmt, 17/ 18 Sept 1994; MMF 43425, R tmt, 17/ 18 Sept 1994; MMF 43426/43427, R tbt, 17/ 18 Sept 1994; MMF 43428, pel, 17/ 18 Sept 1994.

Measurements of paratypes (following the order of the specimens listed above): Tarsometatarsus: length 36.4, 33.2, 33.9, 33.3, 32.4 mm; proximal width 6.9, 6.1, 6.4, 6.3, 6.4 mm; minimum shaft width 3.8, 3.4, 3.4, 3.0, 3.2 mm; distal width 7.3, 6.8, 6.6, 6.6, 6.6 mm. Tibiotarsus: length 54.0 mm; medial length 53.2 mm, proximal width 6.7 mm; minimum shaft width 2.9 mm; distal width 5.5 mm. Femur: length -, 37.8, 38.3 mm; proximal width -, 6.65, 6.7 mm; diaphysis width 2.9, 2.8, 2.9 mm; distal width 7.0, 7.1, 6.8 mm. Humerus: length -, minimum shaft width 2.0 mm. Ulna: length 22.6, 23.3, - mm; proximal width 3.3, 3.1, - mm; proximal diameter 2.86, -, -; minimum shaft width 1.4, 1.6, 1.6 mm; distal width 2.9, 2.8, 2.6 mm. Synsacrum: length c.36.3; vertebral length 30.3; antitrochanterian width c. 17.7 mm.

Age: Undetermined Late Quaternary (Late Pleistocene to Late Holocene) age. Material of an undescribed species of quail (Coturnix) from “Ribeira Groh” (KIA-47430) rendered a 14C age of 2755±55 BP (1021-806 cal BC) (Rando et al. 2014).

Diagnosis. A species of Rallus that is overall smaller and stouter than R. aquaticus, and notably larger than R. carvaoensis n. sp. from São Miguel and R. minutus n. sp. from São Jorge. This species combines relatively smaller wing bones (humerus and ulna) with massive leg bones (mainly tarsometatarsus) and a wider synsacrum than R. aquaticus and R. montivagorum n. sp. The available wing bones are smaller than in R. montivagorum n. sp. and R. adolfocaesaris n. sp., and larger than in R. carvaoensis n. sp. and R. minutus n. sp. The femur and tibiotarsus are only slightly shorter than those of R. aquaticus, the tarsometatarsus being the most reduced leg bone. The distal leg bones (tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus) are more robust than their counterparts in the other species of Rallus described herein (especially compared with the neighbouring Porto Santo rail), except for R. minutus n. sp. from São Jorge. [Figures 2, 15 A, 16A, 17A; Table 1]

Etymology. The specific name honours Richard Thomas Lowe, who during his time in Madeira was an assiduous student of the flora and fauna (mainly fishes and molluscs) of the archipelago and who published many important books and articles (da Silva and de Meneses 1984). He was born 4 Dec 1802 in Findern, Derbyshire (England). After finishing school and theological studies, he visited Madeira for the first in 1828 and became an Anglican chaplain on the island in 1832. Later on, he returned to England and lived in Lea, Lincolnshire. He returned to Madeira several times, the last one in April 1874 from Liverpool, but he was shipwrecked soon after setting out and drowned, together with his wife, southwest of the Scilly Islands. In one of his publications (Lowe 1853) he mentioned for the first time the discovery of (sub)fossil lizard and bird bones. Richard Owen, who studied the material, could not identify the bones of the three species found, but could only give their size as similar to that of "gull or crow,” " thrush" and "sparrow".