Paleontologists have discovered the fossilized bones of a new species of parrot. Agapornis The event will take place in three regions of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “The Cradle of Humankind” in Gauteng, South Africa.
Rebuilding the couple's lives Agapornis longipes People forage on the ground during the dry season in the Early Pleistocene period of the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng, South Africa. Image by Martina Cadin.
“Lovebirds (Genus Agapornis“Psittacidae (parrots) are small parrots endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar,” said Dr Marco Pavia from the University of Turin and his colleagues.
“It currently includes nine species that live in woodlands and wooded savannahs, breed in tree cavities, and feed mainly on grass seeds and fruits collected on the ground and, to a lesser extent, on trees.”
“Genetic data suggest that parrots colonized Africa during the late Eocene and early Oligocene. Agapornis They first migrated into Africa from Australasia during the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene, about 24 million years ago.”
“Psittacula Crameri “It is the most recent parrot to have dispersed across the continents around the boundary between the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (2.5 to 1.5 million years ago).”
“The fossil record of African parrots is very scarce, with the oldest dating back to the early Pliocene period of the Langebaanweg.”
“Surprisingly, most of the African fossils AgapornisThe oldest one is Agapornis Attenborough It was described from the Early Pliocene of the Langebaanweg in South Africa.”
The newly identified species is Agapornis longipesIt lived in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago.
The fossils have been found at Kromdraai, Cooper Cave and Swartkrans sites in South Africa.
The specimen includes all major wing bones (humerus, ulna, carpometacarpals), tarsometatarsus, a fragmentary mandible, and a coracoid.
“The fossils were recovered from three sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cradle of Humankind, a key area for understanding early human evolution in Southern Africa,” the paleontologists said.
“The Cradle of Humankind contains several hominin fossil sites dating from the Late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene, and their study has shed light on the paleoecological and paleoenvironmental context surrounding the emergence of the genus Homo in the region, and its relationship to the contemporary species Australopithecus and Paranthropus.”
“The three fossil sites – Swartkrans, Cooper's Cave and Kromdraai – are located in the southern part of the Cradle Range, approximately one kilometre east and one and a half kilometres northeast of Sterkfontein Cave respectively, and are separated by a few hundred metres from each other,” the researchers added.
Agapornis longipes It is distinct from nine extant species. Agapornis Genus and extinct Agapornis atlanticus and Agapornis Attenborough It is known for several morphological characteristics and for having the smallest humerus-to-tarsometatarsal ratio. Agapornis seed.
“Except for one. Agapornis “These species feed primarily on grass seeds and then fruits and are generally associated with the presence of grasslands, permanent water sources and tall trees that provide either natural cavities or holes excavated by other birds such as woodpeckers or barbets,” the researchers said.
“The long, slender legs Agapornis longipes This may be related to feeding adaptations of this extinct species.”
“Indeed, modern species with a low humerus-to-tarsometatarsus ratio typically gather food on the ground, while others also gather seeds and fruits from trees.”
“We assume that Agapornis longipes As suggested by paleoenvironmental reconstructions, it used its longer legs to feed on grass seeds at ground level in the tall grass, dense prairie of the paleo-Blue Bank Valley.”
“The present-day environment in this region of the Cradle of Humankind and South Africa is not significantly different from that of the Early Pleistocene, and the extinction of lovebirds from this region during the Pleistocene is likely related to changes in microclimatic conditions and the extinction of specific food resources, rather than changes in general environmental conditions.”
This new species is paper In the journal Geobios.
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Marco Pavia othersLovebirds (birds, parrot family, AgapornisThis fossil was discovered in the Plio-Pleistocene era (Gauteng, South Africa), the birthplace of humankind. GeobiosPublished online August 9, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.006
Source: www.sci.news
