Gallirallus sharpei (Sharpe’s Rail) – is it really extinct?

[sebbe67]

Sharpe’s Rail Gallirallus sharpei is currently classified as Extinct in 2000, being known only from a unique type described by Buttikofer in 1893. No details of its origin are known, but it has been suggested that it may have originated from the Greater Sundas, Indonesia. It could be argued that Data Deficient may be a more appropriate classification for the species.

[Peter]

Sharpe's rail
The one and only

The specimen of Sharpe's Rail Gallirallus sharpei( Büttikofer, 1893) in the National Museum of Natural History (Leiden, The Netherlands) is the only one in the world. It was purchased from the Amsterdam-based natural history dealer G.A. Frankin 1865. At first it was incorrectly identified as a young specimen of a South American species of rail, but in 1893 Johann Büttikofer, curator in Leiden, recognized it as a separate species and described it after the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe, who had focussed Büttikofer's attention on this unique specimen. The origin of this rail was unknown, as in so many of the skins purchased from animal dealers. Probably influenced by the earlier misidentification, Büttikofer assumed that the bird originated from South America.

A mystery
Büttikofer and Sharpe may have hoped that new finds would clarify the provenance of the bird. But the rail was never found again and is now considered extinct. Nearly a century later the American ornithologist Storrs Olson tried to solve this mystery. First of all he noted a close resemblance between Sharpe's Rail and the Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis, which occurs in the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, West Polynesia and New Zealand. Olson assumed that two species so much alike probably had lived in the same general area. He argued that it is unlikely that this rail had come from the Pacific Islands. Most rails on these islands were flightless. However, the well-developed wings of the specimen in the National Museum of Natural History clearly indicated that it had not lost the ability to fly. Olson therefore assumed that the species may have originated from one of the larger Sunda Islands such as Java, Sumatra or Borneo.

An educated guess
He had two major clues. The first was that species of Gallirallus are known from the Asian mainland and the Philippines but not from the larger islands of Indonesia. It is quite possible that the rail did occur there, but became extinct as a result of human influence. The second clue was the fact that it was purchased from an Amsterdam dealer, who could easily have obtained skins from areas under Dutch influence, such as the present Indonesia. In fact, Frank obtained his specimens from all over the world. The argument is therefore no more than a well educated guess. The true origin of this unique specimen will remain a mystery, at least for the time being.

Photo:


I've seen this specimen myself in Naturalis, the Leiden Museum. ;D

Source: www.naturalis.nl/300pearls/
Text by: Dr. L.W. van den Hoek Ostende

[another specialist]

Family/Sub-family RALLIDAE

Species name author (Büttikofer, 1895)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Summary Gallirallus sharpei is known only from the unique type, in Leiden, described by Büttikofer in 18931. No details of its origin are known1. It may have come from the Greater Sundas, Indonesia1. Although previously categorised as Extinct, the lack of information on the origin of the type specimen indicates that Data Deficient is a more appropriate category, and is consistent with the classification of other, similarly poorly known species.

www.birdlife.net/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=2862&m=0

[another specialist]

www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php?species=40128

[another specialist]

Sharpe's Rail Gallirallus sharpei
Data Deficient. This is perhaps the most mysterious Asian species. It is known only from the typespecimen described by Büttikofer in 1893 and no details of its origin are known, but it is speculated that it may have come from the Greater Sundas, Indonesia. Birders throughout the region should be on the look-out for this species, which is similar in size and morphology to Buff-banded Rail G. philippensis, but can be distinguished by its predominantly brownish-black plumage, grey head, chin and throat, white-spotted mantle, scapulars, upperwing-coverts, undertail-coverts and tail, white-barred remiges, and probably red or orange legs and bill (Taylor & van Perlo 1998).

www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/basiafeats/lost2.html

[another specialist]

Where to place the unique specimen of a possible extinct rail (Rallidae)? Molecular phylogenetic relationship of the Sharpe’s Rail (Gallirallus sharpei).


Research proposal by Robert-Jan den Tex



The only known record of the Sharpe’s Rail (Gallirallus sharpei), a single specimen held here at Naturalis, confronts the avian taxonomist with an enigma: is it a valid species or is it a hybrid and what are the closest living relatives of this bird? The specimen was purchased from Mr. Frank in 1865 and the exact collection date and place are not known. Olson (1986) studied the morphology of the specimen and, based on these findings, stated that the specimen is a valid species and probably closely related to Gallirallus philippensis. By comparing a part of the DNA sequence from this unique specimen with sequences from supposed related rail species we can now test the hypotheses of Olson.


Methods
For the DNA isolation tiny pieces of toe pad from the specimen will be used and a standard isolation protocol for ancient DNA will be followed (see protocol of Michael Russello at the webpage of the ancient DNA lab Leiden). Amplification of a part of mtDNA instead of nuclear DNA is suggested for the following different reasons. Firstly, copies of mtDNA are much more numerous and its mutation rate is rather high. Besides several mtDNA markers are well established in using (avian) phylogenetic reconstruction (Moore & DeFilippis, 1997; Avise, 2004) and in identifying the amount of genetic distance between species (Klicka & Zink, 1997; Fleischer et al., 2000).

Because the specimen is old it is supposed that the DNA will be highly fragmented. Therefore for the amplification several primer pairs have to be developed that are 50 - 150 bp apart (see Bensch & Pearson, 2002). Cytochrome-b will be amplified via PCR because, on average, this marker has a good resolution with respect to the hypotheses that we want to test (Fleisher et al., 2000; Avise, 2004). Pair-wise genetic distances are larger than other mtDNA markers such as 12S (Moore & DeFilippis, 1997; Trewick, 1997). Also, the alignment of cyt-b will be easier and unambiguous (no gaps!) compared with 12S. A practical consideration to use cyt-b is that of several Gallirallus species partial sequences are known (Trewick, 1997).


Species to include (taxonomy based on Taylor & Van Perlo, 1998):
G. sharpei, G. philippensis*, G. striatus, G. sylvestris*, G. owstoni*, G. australis*, Rallus aquaticus*1, Gallinula chloropus1


* = Species of which already a partial cyt-b sequence is published (Trewick, 1997).
1 = Species used as outgroups.


For G. striatus no cyt-b sequence is known. To get this sequence DNA isolated from specimens held at Naturalis will be used.


References
Avise, J.C. (2004): Molecular markers, natural history, and evolution. Second edition, Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates Inc.


Bensch, S. & Pearson, D. (2002): The Large-billed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orinus revisited. Ibis 144: 259-267.


Fleischer, R.C., Olson, S.L., James, H.F. & Cooper, A.C. (2000): Identification of the extinct Hawaiian Eagle (Haliaeetus) by mtDNA sequence analysis. Auk 117: 1051-1056.


Klicka, J. & Zink, R.M. (1997): The importance of recent ice ages in speciation: a failed paradigm. Science 277: 1666-1669.


Moore, W.S. & DeFilippis V.R. (1997): The window of taxonomic resolution for phylogenies based on mitochondrial Cytochrome b, in: Mindell, D.P. (ed.): Avian molecular evolution and systematics, San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 84-120.


Olson, S.L. (1986): Gallirallus sharpei (Büttikhofer), nov. comb. a valid species of rail (Rallidae) of unknown origin. Gerfaut 76: 263-269.


Taylor, B. & Van Perlo, B. (1998): Rails. A guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world, Sussex: Pica Press.


Trewick, S.A. (1997): Flightlessness and phylogeny amongst endemic rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the New Zealand region. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 352: 429-446.

biology.leidenuniv.nl/ibl/mollab/aDNA/projects.htm

[another specialist]

Sharpe's Rail Gallirallus sharpei
Data Deficient. This is perhaps the most mysterious Asian species. It is known only from the typespecimen described by Büttikofer in 1893 and no details of its origin are known, but it is speculated that it may have come from the Greater Sundas, Indonesia. Birders throughout the region should be on the look-out for this species, which is similar in size and morphology to Buff-banded Rail G. philippensis, but can be distinguished by its predominantly brownish-black plumage, grey head, chin and throat, white-spotted mantle, scapulars, upperwing-coverts, undertail-coverts and tail, white-barred remiges, and probably red or orange legs and bill (Taylor & van Perlo 1998).

www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/basiafeats/lost2.html

[Melanie]

Sharpe's Rail is now considered as invalid:

Sharpe’s Rail Gallirallus sharpei (Data Deficient) was previously recognised by BirdLife. However, R. W. R. J. Dekker in litt. (2008) has provided information that this taxon is best treated as a colour morph of G. philippensis. This treament has now been adopted by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group. Sharpe’s Rail will therefore be dropped from the 2009 IUCN Red List.

www.birdlifeforums.org/WebX?13@@.2cba657e

[another specialist]

Does anyone know if the DNA tests have actually been done (reply 5)?

Also R. W. R. J. Dekker in litt. (2008) has provided information that this taxon is best treated as a colour morph of G. philippensis what information? Does anyone have his report?

[Melanie]

Here is the email-address of Mr. Dekker

www.nlbif.nl/specialist_details.php?firstname=R.W.R.J.&lastname=Dekker

[another specialist]

Nov 24, 2008 21:24:57 GMT Melanie said:

Here is the email-address of Mr. Dekker

www.nlbif.nl/specialist_details.php?firstname=R.W.R.J.&lastname=Dekker

Thanks Melanie but I'm unable to get to the page could you copy and paste the whole reply here for me and everyone to see please.

[Melanie]

The point is that Mr. Dekkers report is previously unpublished (which is meant with the term in litt.. So everyone who is interested in the DNA tests should write to Mr Dekker himself and request him whether he can tell something about the current status of the Sharpe's Rail.

Here is his email-address

Name:
R.W.R.J. Dekker, Dr.

Title:
Director of Collections

Organisation:
National Museum of Natural History Naturalis

Tel.:
[phone]

Fax:
–

Email:
[e-mail]

Web site:
www.naturalis.nl

[another specialist]

Thanks Melanie for info.

I've emailed him jut now to get further info on his findings.

[Peter]

Very interesting. As I'm almost finished updating my website with the 2008 IUCN list, I might need to remove this species already. Frank, please let us know when you get further info from him.

[another specialist]

Nov 26, 2008 8:56:28 GMT Peter said:

Very interesting. As I'm almost finished updating my website with the 2008 IUCN list, I might need to remove this species already. Frank, please let us know when you get further info from him.

Will do Peter.

At present no reply but will wait patiently anyway.

[another specialist]

Dear Francisco Godino,

We sequenced the DNA of this specimen and the results showed that Sharpe's rail is a brown colour variant of Gallirallus philippensis. The results of the molecular analysis have not be published (yet), but the conclusion must be that it is not a valid species.

Best wishes,

Steven van der Mije
senior collection manager

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Dear Francisco,

the analysis gave no reason to award a subspecies status. Furthermore this type of colour variation is know from a lot of species and the change in colour is consistent with this mutation.

We have no idea of a date of publication.

Steven

[Peter]

Thanks for posting these emails!

[another specialist]

My please Peter

[Sebbe]

Hume & van Grouw 2014. Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds. Bull BOC 134(3): 168–193

An interesting paper published in the latest issue of Bulletin BOC, the authors summarize the confusing history of this bird. They also mention that mtDNA by Naturalis revealed that it represents a melanistic specimen of G. philippensis.

It is a shame though that the results by Naturalis remains unpublished.

[surroundx]

Olson, Storrs L. (1986). Gallirallus sharpei (Büttikofer), nov. comb. a valid species of rail (Rallidae) of unknown origin. Le Gerfaut 76: 263-269.