As you read this story, you will learn the following:
-
Fossils dating back millions of years have been discovered in a cave in New Zealand, including 12 species of ancient birds and four species of frogs.
-
Experts believe the discovery shows how dramatically New Zealand’s forest culture has transformed.
-
Researchers say 50% of species in New Zealand’s North Island were extinct before humans arrived.
A massive collection of fossils discovered in a cave on New Zealand’s North Island has given scientists their first look at an ancient forest species that lived there more than a million years ago. The fossils represent 12 species of ancient birds and four species of frogs, including several previously unknown birds. Taken together, the fossils paint a picture of an ancient world that was very different from today. The discovery also fills an important gap in scientific understanding of extinction patterns before humans arrived in New Zealand 750 years ago.
The team published a study on the findings Alcheringa: Australian Journal of Palaeontology.
“This is a newly recognized species of bird animal in New Zealand that was replaced a million years later by birds encountered by humans,” Trevor Worthy, associate professor at Flinders University and lead study author, said in a statement. “This extraordinary discovery shows that our ancient forests were once home to a variety of bird species, but that these birds did not survive for the next few million years.”
The team located the fossils between two layers of volcanic ash preserved in the cave, each from a different major eruption, the first 1.55 million years ago and the second 1 million years ago. Many of the species in the fossils were already extinct by the time humans arrived on the island. By extrapolating, the team estimated that 33 to 50 percent of all species on the island became extinct millions of years before humans arrived in New Zealand, possibly due to rapid climate change and catastrophic volcanic eruptions, said study co-author Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum.
“For decades, the extinction of New Zealand’s birds has been viewed primarily through the lens of the arrival of humans 750 years ago,” Worthy said. “This study demonstrates that natural forces such as supervolcanoes and dramatic climate change shaped the unique identity of our wildlife more than a million years ago.”
Of all the discoveries, scientists may be most excited about the discovery of a new parrot species, unicornA distant relative of the iconic kakapo, a large flightless parrot known for its weight. The research team believes that this ancestor may have had the ability to fly. By analyzing the fossils they found, the team noticed that the ancient bird’s legs were weaker than those of its modern bird relatives, meaning its ancestors were not as skilled climbers as modern kakapos. Still, the team says more research is needed to confirm the ancient bird was able to fly.
The researchers also discovered an ancestor of modern high-feathered birds, which opened up further research on the bird. Fossils of an extinct pigeon closely related to the Australian bronze-winged pigeon are also exciting experts.
“Changes in forest and scrub habitat are forcing bird populations to readjust,” Schofield said. “We believe this is a major driver of evolutionary diversification of North Island’s birds and other fauna.”
Schofield said that compared to previous excavations that showed life existed in New Zealand between 20 and 16 million years ago, the new findings provide the first evidence of life between 15 million and 1 million years ago. “This is not a missing chapter in New Zealand’s ancient history,” Schofield said, “it’s a missing book.”
You may also like
