Dromaius
Encyclopedia
Dromaius is a genus of ratite
present in Australia. There is one extant species, Dromaius novaehollandiae commonly known as the Emu.
In his original 1816 description of the emu, Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
used two generic
names; first Dromiceius, then Dromaius a few pages later. It has been a point of contention ever since which is correct; the latter is more correctly formed, but the convention in taxonomy
is that the first name given stands, unless it is clearly a typographical error
. Most modern publications, including those of the Australian government, use Dromaius, with Dromiceius mentioned as an alternative spelling. Others misspelling synonyms are descript for genus (see synonyms in taxobox). However, the Dromiceius spelling was used by Dale Russell
in his 1972 naming of the dinosaur Dromiceiomimus.
were common prior to European settlement
in 1788:
A number of other Emu fossils from Australia described as separate species are now regarded as chronosubspecies
at best, given the considerable variation even between living individuals.
There are also some unidentifiable remains of emu-like birds from rocks as old as the middle Miocene
.
Ratite
A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
present in Australia. There is one extant species, Dromaius novaehollandiae commonly known as the Emu.
In his original 1816 description of the emu, Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot was a French ornithologist.Vieillot described a large number of birds for the first time, especially those he encountered during the time he spent in the West Indies and North America, and 26 genera established by him are still in use...
used two generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
names; first Dromiceius, then Dromaius a few pages later. It has been a point of contention ever since which is correct; the latter is more correctly formed, but the convention in taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
is that the first name given stands, unless it is clearly a typographical error
Typographical error
A typographical error is a mistake made in, originally, the manual type-setting of printed material, or more recently, the typing process. The term includes errors due to mechanical failure or slips of the hand or finger, but usually excludes errors of ignorance, such as spelling errors...
. Most modern publications, including those of the Australian government, use Dromaius, with Dromiceius mentioned as an alternative spelling. Others misspelling synonyms are descript for genus (see synonyms in taxobox). However, the Dromiceius spelling was used by Dale Russell
Dale Russell
Dale A. Russell is a Canadian geologist/palaeontologist, currently Research Professor at The Department of Marine Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of North Carolina State University...
in his 1972 naming of the dinosaur Dromiceiomimus.
Species and sub-species
Several emu speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
were common prior to European settlement
History of Australia
The History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
in 1788:
- Dromaius novaehollandiae, Emu, remains common in most of the more lightly settled parts of mainland Australia. Overall population varies from decade to decade according to rainfall; as low as 200,000 and as high as a million, but a typical figure is about half a million individuals. Although emus are no longer found in the densely settled southern and south-western agricultural areas, the provision of permanent stock water in arid regions has allowed the mainland species to extend its range. There are five recognised sub-species or racesRace (biology)In biology, races are distinct genetically divergent populations within the same species with relatively small morphological and genetic differences. The populations can be described as ecological races if they arise from adaptation to different local habitats or geographic races when they are...
of the emu:- Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae – South-east Australia – whitish ruff when breeding.
- Dromaius novaehollandiae woodwardi – North Australia – slender, paler.
- Dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi – South-west Australia – darker, no ruff during breeding.
- Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis – TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
– The Tasmanian Emu, became extinct around 1850. - Dromaius novaehollandiae ater – King IslandKing IslandKing Island, Kings Island or King's Island may refer to:Australia* King Island * King Island ** King Island AirportCanada* King Island * King Island * King Island USA...
– The King Island Emu was about half the size of the mainland species. By 1805 it had been hunted to extinction by sealers and visiting sailors. Some individuals were kept in captivity in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the last one dying in 1822. It was thought to be a distinct species until 2011.
- Dromaius baudinianus, Kangaroo Island Emu became extinct around 1827 as a result of hunting and frequent fires. The larger mainland species was introduced to Kangaroo IslandKangaroo IslandKangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St Vincent. Its closest point to the mainland is off Cape Jervis, on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the state of South Australia. The island is long...
in the 1920s. - Dromaius ocypus, a prehistoric species of emu (A.H. Miller, 1963), described from Late PliocenePlioceneThe Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
fossils (Mampuwordu Sands Formation, Lake Palankarinna, Australia) accepted as distinct nowadays.
A number of other Emu fossils from Australia described as separate species are now regarded as chronosubspecies
Chronospecies
A chronospecies describes a group of one or more species derived from a sequential development pattern which involves continual and uniform changes from an extinct ancestral form on an evolutionary scale. This sequence of alterations eventually produces a population which is physically,...
at best, given the considerable variation even between living individuals.
There are also some unidentifiable remains of emu-like birds from rocks as old as the middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
.