Porphyrio claytongreenei
| Porphyrio claytongreenei Temporal range:
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Porphyrio |
| Species: | †P. claytongreenei
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Porphyrio claytongreenei Worthy et al., 2026
| |
Porphyrio claytongreenei is an extinct species of rail in the genus Porphyrio that lived in Zealandia during the Calabrian stage of the Pleistocene epoch.
Etymology
The specific epithet of Porphyrio claytongreenei references Warren Clayton-Greene, the landowner of the site on which the holotype was found, for his encouragement of scientific research in the caves located on his land and his protection of fossil sites by fencing them off from livestock.[1]
References
- ^ Worthy, Trevor Henry; Scofield, Richard Paul; Suresh, Sneha; Barker, Simon J.; Wilson, Colin J. N.; Williams, Paul W.; Baker, Joel A. (26 January 2026). "The first Early Pleistocene ( ca 1 Ma) fossil terrestrial vertebrate fauna from a cave in New Zealand reveals substantial avifaunal turnover in the last million years". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology: 1–40. doi:10.1080/03115518.2025.2605684. ISSN 0311-5518. Retrieved 3 February 2026 – via Taylor and Francis Online.