I found this paper is currently available http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/10. ... .11096.pdf It includes some interesting fossil species and makes Gallirallus an even larger genus than it was but what is pointed out is that there seem to be three bursts of expansion and radiation. One between about Indonesia and New Zealand, two right out across the Pacific, three the Banded Rails. The Banded Rail expansion is very recent and may have been allowed by early Ploynesian impacts on the islands and their birds.
Ian
Rails in the Pacific
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Re: Rails in the Pacific
This paper shows that Auckland Island Rails and their relatives have also been very recently derived form a common ancestor - since the last glacial period. I've only seen this abstract so far, the rest is hidden behind the paywall. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 4/abstract.
Ian
Ian
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Re: Rails in the Pacific
The Auckland Island Rail paper is available here http://www.massey.ac.nz/~strewick/Text% ... ations.htm - on the top of the list.
Ian
Ian
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Re: Rails in the Pacific
I haven't read this one yet but I'll be interested to see what they make of the Banded Rail subspecies. Maybe for Christmas
http://evolves.massey.ac.nz/PDFs/Garcia ... iology.pdf
Ian
http://evolves.massey.ac.nz/PDFs/Garcia ... iology.pdf
Ian