Description of the wing spur in the subfossil Malagasy lapwing, Vanellus madagascariensis (Aves: Charadriiformes, Charadriidae): Insights into some of its possible life history traits and why it is extinct

Abstract

We report on a subfossil carpometacarpus of an extinct species of lapwing, Vanellus madagascariensis, restricted to Madagascar and inferred to be less than 3,000 years old. Lapwings, comprising 24 species in the New and Old World, are not recorded in the modern Malagasy avifauna. Members of this genus are often well-adapted to human induced habitat modifications. Material of this species has been recovered from three subfossil sites, each site with a single element, in the southwest of the island, including two humeri and a carpometacarpus. The carpal spur of V. madagascariensis was notably more developed than any living species of lapwing. It is presumed that these formidable armaments were employed to defend territories and hinder predation on nest contents and young. Large-scale desiccation in southwestern Madagascar starting about 3,000 years ago would have had a direct impact on local freshwater aquatic environments, in turn diminishing local habitat for this species, and ultimately leading to its extinction.