Didunculus

Tooth-billed pigeons
	Live specimen of Didunculus strigirostris in 1901
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Subfamily:	Didunculinae
Genus:	Didunculus; Peale, 1848
Species
	Two species, see article

The tooth-billed pigeons are the only genus (Didunculus) of the subfamily Didunculinae, in the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae). It has no close living relatives, but it has been shown to be genetically close to the dodo,^[1] and the genus name Didunculus means "little dodo".^[2] The jaw and tongue structure, and the superficially parrotlike bill have suggested a relationship to the parrots, but these features have arisen from its specialised diet rather than any real relationship.

Species

Two species are known:

†Didunculus placopedetes, Tongan tooth-billed pigeon (EX)
Didunculus strigirostris, Tooth-billed pigeon (CR)

The Tongan tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus placopedetes) is only known from subfossil^[3] remains in several archaeological sites in Tonga dating 2700–2850 BP^[4] and now extinct. The tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris) from Samoa is endangered.^[5]

References

^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi: 10.1126/science.295.5560.1683 , please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi= 10.1126/science.295.5560.1683 instead.
^ Rauzon, Mark J. (2007). "Island restoration: Exploring the past, anticipating the future" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 35 (2): 97–107.
^ Hume, J.P., Walters, M. (2012). Extinct Birds. London: T & AD Poyser. p. 544. ISBN 978-1-4081-5725-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Tyrberg, T. (2009). Holocene avian extinctions. In: Turvey, S.T. (editor) (2009). Holocene extinctions. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-19-953509-5.
^ Template:IUCN

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[Shapiro_et_al._2002-1] Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi: 10.1126/science.295.5560.1683 , please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi= 10.1126/science.295.5560.1683 instead.

[Rauzon_2007-2] Rauzon, Mark J. (2007). "Island restoration: Exploring the past, anticipating the future" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 35 (2): 97–107.

[HumeWalters2012-3] Hume, J.P., Walters, M. (2012). Extinct Birds. London: T & AD Poyser. p. 544. ISBN 978-1-4081-5725-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Tyrberg2009-4] Tyrberg, T. (2009). Holocene avian extinctions. In: Turvey, S.T. (editor) (2009). Holocene extinctions. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-19-953509-5.

[IUCN2012-5] Template:IUCN

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