“Our analysis had prompted a rethink of our native fauna,” mentioned Canterbury Museum’s Dr. Paul Scofield.
“Lots of the species that we considered iconic New Zealand natives — a traditional instance can be the takahē — we now know are comparatively latest blow-ins from Australia, arriving just a few million years in the past.”
Of their analysis, Dr. Scofield and colleagues targeted on the so-called St Bathans Fauna, a group of greater than 9,000 specimens from 33 paleontological websites or discrete sedimentary beds close to the village of St Bathans, Central Otago, New Zealand’s South Island.
These websites, which have been as soon as on the backside of a big prehistoric lake, supply the one vital perception into New Zealand’s non-marine wildlife from 20 million years in the past (Early Miocene epoch).
Unique creatures of the St Bathans Fauna embrace Heracles inexpectatus, a large parrot that scientists nicknamed Squawkzilla; two thriller mammals; flamingos; a 3-m crocodile; a large horned turtle; and a large bat.
“Twenty-three years of digging at St Bathans has modified our concept in regards to the age of the New Zealand fauna and the significance of some animals over others,” Dr. Scofield mentioned.
“For instance, till now we thought that birds like kiwi and moa have been among the many oldest representatives of New Zealand fauna.”
“We are actually realizing that the kākāpō, tiny New Zealand wrens and bats, and even a weird freshwater limpet, are the true historic New Zealand natives.”
The authors concludes that this menagerie of unique animals was worn out by dramatic temperature drops during the last about 5 million years.
“The analysis at St Bathans had reworked our understanding of how non-marine vertebrate life in New Zealand seemed round 20 million years in the past throughout the Early Miocene period,” mentioned Flinders College’s Dr. Trevor Worthy.
“It’s thrilling to be concerned in a challenge that continues to make completely recent discoveries about what animals lived in New Zealand’s lakes and rivers, and the forests round them, throughout this important interval in historical past.”
“Yearly we discover new specimens. Finds that reveal wonderful new species that we couldn’t have imagined once we first began working there.”
“The animals that lived in New Zealand 20 million years in the past have been very totally different to what we’ve now,” mentioned College of Canterbury’s Dr. Vanesa De Pietri.
“For instance, we had one other big eagle that was not associated to the Haast’s eagle (Hieraaetus moorei).”
“We had a complete bunch of songbirds that have been fairly totally different, crocodiles and even probably a small mammal that we’ve nicknamed the waddling mouse.”
“We’re nonetheless in the midst of our analysis into understanding precisely what that was.”
This analysis is described in a paper printed within the journal Geobios.
Quotation:
Trevor H. Worthy et al. A synopsis of the Early Miocene St Bathans Fauna from New Zealand. Geobios, printed on-line August 6, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2024.03.002
This article was first printed by Sci-Information on 3 September 2024. Lead Picture: The kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus). Picture credit score: Jake Osborne.
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