Negros Fruit Dove - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The Negros Fruit Dove was described in 1955 as Ptilinopus arcanus by Sidney Dillon Ripley and Dioscoro Rabor on the basis of a single female specimen collected by Rabor on May 1, 1953. This specimen, collected near Pula on the slopes of Mount Kanlaon in the Philippines, was shot along with a second bird, presumed to be its mate, which was lost in the undergrowth. The holotype is preserved as a skin by Yale University's Peabody Museum of Natural History. The generic name Ptilinopus comes from the Ancient Greek words ptilon "feather," and pous, "foot." The specific name arcanus comes from the Ancient Greek word arcānus "secret."

Some authors have suggested that the specimen was either a runt of either the Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove or a Treron pigeon, or a hybrid instead of a unique species; however, these views are generally considered invalid due in part to the distinctiveness of the specimen, particularly in the bare skin around the eye, and no proper evidence has suggested that the Negros Fruit Dove is an invalid species. It is uncertain where the dove should be placed within the genus Ptilinopus as the male's plumage, a key feature used in organizing the Ptilinopus doves, is unknown. It has been suggested that the Negros Fruit Dove is either most closely related to the Black-naped Fruit Dove or represents an early colonization of the Philippines by the genus that has left no surviving close relatives. It has no known subspecies and is also known as Ripley's Fruit Dove.