Date: June 19, 2018
Source: Pensoft Publishers
Summary:
While
2018 marks the centenary of the death of the last captive Carolina parakeet --
North America's only native parrot, a team of researchers have shed new light
on the previously known geographical range of the species, which was officially
declared extinct in 1920.
Combining
observations and specimen data, the new Carolina parakeet occurrence dataset,
recently published in the open access Biodiversity Data Journal by Dr
Kevin Burgio, , Dr Colin Carlson, University of Maryland and Georgetown
University, and Dr Alexander Bond, Natural History Museum of London, is the
most comprehensive ever produced.
The new
study provides unprecedented information on the birds range providing a window
into the past ecology of a lost species.
"Making
these data freely available to other researchers will hopefully help unlock the
mysteries surrounding the extinction and ecology of this iconic species.
Parrots are the most at-risk group of birds and anything we can learn about
past extinctions may be useful going forward," says the study's lead
author, Kevin Burgio.
The
observational recordings included in the study have been gleaned from a wide
variety of sources, including the correspondence of well-known historical
figures such as Thomas Jefferson and the explorers Lewis and Clark.
The study
team referenced recorded sightings spanning nearly 400 years. The oldest
recorded sighting dates back to 1564, and was found in a description of the
current state of Florida written by Rene Laudonniere in 1602.
No comments:
Post a Comment