Porzana ralphorum Olson et James, 1991 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Porzana ralphorum Olson et James, 1991
Storrs Lovejoy Olson & Helen F. James, 1991
Descriptions of Thirty-Two New Species of Birds From the Hawaiian Islands: Part I. Non-Passeriformes
Ornithological Monographs No. 45: 1-88
The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington D.C.
https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/1745 (go to view/open)

The Key to Scientific Names claims:

Great O'ahu Crake Porzana ralphorum Olson & James, 1991 EXTINCT
Dr C. John Ralph and Dr Carol Pearson Ralph helped the describers, Storrs Olson (q.v.) and Helen James, when they were researching on O'ahu. John Ralph is a wildlife biologist with the Forest Service of the US Department of Agriculture. The University of California, Berkeley, awarded his bachelor's degree; his master's was awarded by San Jose State University, California, and his doctorate by Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. He worked in Hawaii (1976–1981) and researched in New Zealand (1980) on the re-introduction of native species to an island cleared of non-native fauna. He moved to the Redwood Sciences Laboratory, Arcata, California (1981) and has since directed research (1994) at a bird monitoring station in Costa Rica. Carol is a botanist and ornithologist. This bird became extinct shortly after the first Polynesian settlers arrived in Hawaii.

The Key to Scientific Names

“To our friends C. J. Ralph and Carol Pearson Ralph, who assisted our research in the [Hawaiian] islands in many ways and whose hospitality is deeply appreciated.” (Olson & James 1991) (‡Zapornia).

From is Ph. D. thesis Age ratios, orientation, and routes of land bird migrants in the Northeastern United States we know that he was born 1940. From here we know Carol Pearson Ralph was born 1947. Here Ph.D. thesis was Natural food requirements, host-finding, and population density of the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), in relation to host plant density and morphology. No idea what the C. in his name stands for.

 

[PScofield]

Clement John Ralph born 1940
Wife Carol Ann Pearson born 1947
Marriage Date: 3 Jun 1973