Paleontologists have desribed a new species of large passerine bird based the fossilized remains from the Bannockburn Formation near St Bathans in Otago, New Zealand.
The newly-described bird lived in New Zealand during the Early Miocene epoch, some 19 million years ago.
Named the St Bathans currawong (Miostrepera canora), the species would have been about the same size as the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) found in New Zealand today but was probably all black.
“We persecute the magpie as an Australian that has no place in the New Zealand ecosystem but its close relatives lived here in the past,” said Dr. Paul Scofield, senior curator at Canterbury Museum.
“We’ve probably been without a member of the magpie’s extended family for only 5 million years.”
“New Zealand’s ecosystem has changed dramatically over millions of years and harbored diverse species across different eras,” added Dr. Trevor Worthy, a researcher at Flinders University.
“There’s an idea that we should aim to return New Zealand to a pre-European ecological state.”
“But at that point in time, New Zealand’s ecosystems had been changing continuously for millions of years.”
“Aotearoa had lost much of the floral diversity formerly present by the time humans arrived.”
“There were few fruiting tree species left and the loss of currawongs and other pigeons reflects this.”
“Other groups of plants and animals arrived from 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.”
“Many more have arrived since humans occupied the land.”
“The pre-European ecological state of New Zealand is not necessarily any better or worse than any other time in the past.”
“Instead, the fossil record suggests there was no utopian state and that we should celebrate the diversity we currently have.”
The fossilized bones of Miostrepera canora were found at St Bathans fossil site, which was once at the bottom of a large prehistoric lake.
“The work has revealed that New Zealand’s bird…
Read the full article here