A new extinct species of Polynesian sandpiper (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae: Prosobonia ) from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, and the phylogenetic relationships of Prosobonia

Researchers have identified a new extinct species of Polynesian sandpiper, Prosobonia sauli, from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group. This discovery, based on Holocene fossil bones collected during an expedition in 1991–92, extends the record of known extinct Polynesian sandpipers to four. The species is distinguished from the extant Tuamotu Sandpiper by notable differences in leg and bill morphology, suggesting adaptations to distinct ecological niches. Phylogenetic analyses using newly sequenced genetic data, including mitochondrial genomes of related species, confirm Prosobonia's close relationship with turnstones and calidrine sandpipers, providing insights into the evolutionary timeline and sedentary lineage development within the highly migratory Scolopacidae family.

De Pietri, V. L., Worthy, T. H., Scofield, R. P., Cole, T. L., Wood, J. R., Mitchell, K. J., Cibois, A., Jansen, J. J. F. J., Cooper, A. J., Feng, S., Chen, W., Tennyson, A. J., & Wragg, G. M. (2020). A new extinct species of Polynesian sandpiper (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae: Prosobonia ) from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, and the phylogenetic relationships of Prosobonia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 192(4), 1045–1070. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa115