A Window into Prehistoric Aotearoa
Scientists from Australia and New Zealand have discovered a treasure trove of fossils in a cave near Waitomo on the North Island, shedding light on New Zealand’s wildlife from around 1 million years ago. Among the finds is an ancestor of the large, flightless Kākāpō parrot, along with fossils from 12 ancient bird species and four frog species. The research, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, offers an unprecedented glimpse into ecosystems that existed long before humans arrived.
“This newly recognized avifauna shows that our ancient forests were once home to a diverse group of birds that did not survive into the era humans encountered,” said Associate Professor Trevor Worthy of Flinders University.
Extinctions Shaped by Climate and Volcanic Activity
The study suggests that between 33% and 50% of species went extinct in the million years before human settlement, driven largely by rapid climate shifts and massive volcanic eruptions. Dr. Paul Scofield of Canterbury Museum explains that these findings fill a crucial gap in New Zealand’s fossil record, covering a period previously unknown to scientists.
“This wasn’t just a missing chapter—it was a missing volume in our understanding of New Zealand’s natural history,” said Dr. Scofield.
Tracing the Ancestors of Iconic Birds
Among the most remarkable fossils is a new parrot species, Strigops insulaborealis, an ancestor of today’s Kākāpō. Unlike its modern relative, this ancestor may have been capable of flight and had weaker legs, suggesting it was less adept at climbing. The cave also preserved extinct ancestors of the Takahē and a pigeon related to Australia’s bronzewing pigeons, providing clues about how these birds evolved.
The fossils were sandwiched between two layers of volcanic ash, dating from eruptions 1.55 million and 1 million years ago, confirming the cave as the oldest known on the North Island. “These fossils give us a critical baseline for New Zealand’s natural history,” said Worthy. “They show that super-volcanoes and climate shifts were already shaping the unique wildlife of Aotearoa long before humans arrived.”
