The Malagasy shelduck (Alopochen sirabensis), also known as the Sirabe shelduck, is an extinct species of waterfowl in the shelduck subfamily, described from Late Pleistocene fossils found at Antsirabe in central Madagascar.[1] It is related to the extant Egyptian goose, which is widespread in mainland Africa, and to the extinct Réunion and Mauritius shelducks from the Mascarene Islands.
| Malagasy shelduck Temporal range: Holocene
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|---|---|
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| Skull and limb fossils | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Genus: | Alopochen |
| Species: | †A. sirabensis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Alopochen sirabensis (Andrews, 1897)
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| Synonyms | |
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The reason for the extinction of the Malagasy shelduck is unknown. Further findings in the Pleistocene sites of Ampasambazimba and Ampoza, and also in the Holocene site of Beloha (where remains were carbon dated to only 1380 ± 90 years BP, 480-660 CE), show that the species was once widespread in Madagascar, inhabiting different biomes, and that it survived the arrival of humans to the island.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ Andrews, C. W. (2008). "On some Fossil Remains of Carinate Birds from Central Madagascar". Ibis. 39 (3): 343. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1897.tb03281.x.
- ^ Goodman, SM (1999). Holocene bird subfossils from the sites of Ampasambazimba, Antsirabe and Ampoza, Madagascar: Changes in the avifauna of south central Madagascar over the past few millennia. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa. pp. 3071–3083. Archived from the original on 2014-05-19.
- ^ Turvey, Samuel T (2009). Holocene Extinctions. Oxford University Press. p. 67. ISBN 9780191579981.