Taxidermy Chimborazo hillstarTaxidermy Chimborazo hillstarTaxidermy Chimborazo hillstarTaxidermy Chimborazo hillstarTaxidermy Chimborazo hillstarTaxidermy Chimborazo hillstar
 

Taxidermy Chimborazo hillstar

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Log #8080

Latin: Oreotrochilus chimborazo, M

Description: This O. c. chimborazo subspecies has a glittering green patch on its lower throat. An exceptional antique taxidermy specimen from the private collection of celebrated ornithologist Arthur Lennox Butler (1873-1939)..

Casing Options Available:
Antique glass dome
Hand made all glass case
Museum style case in the manner of Joseph Cullingford
Examples of previous work and price sent on request.

Despite its small range, the Ecuadorian hillstar comprises two subspecies. This remarkable case of geographic differentiation has caught the attention of many prominent biologists, among which was Alfred Russel Wallace. In Island Life, Wallace wrote that the ranges of these subspecies were among the most wonderfully cases of restricted ranges of any bird. The presence of the two subspecies is presumed to be related to the complex topography of the Andes, which may have presented numerous opportunities for geographic isolation. Any geographic barrier between both subspecies, however, seems to be absent in the present. Past isolation tied to the varying climate of the Pleistocene may have promoted differentiation within the range of the Ecuadorian Hillstar. Such isolation may not have occurred a long time ago, because no notable differences between the subspecies have been found in mitochondrial DNA.