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Title:
Rare Cretaceous Bird Fossil Discovered in Australia
Article:
Tenuicris piscanexum is the second Cretaceous bird to be named from Australia.
Fossil evidence for Cretaceous birds in Australia is rare, with the oldest recorded bird fossil being a partial wishbone from Victoria, dating back 128 to 120 million years.
Feathers of a similar age have also been found near Coonwalla, Victoria, believed to belong to dinosaurs and early birds.
The only other Cretaceous bird named in Australia is Nanantius Ios, represented by a nearly complete left tibiotarsal bone, discovered in marine sediments dating back 105 million years.
The newly discovered species, Tenuicris piscanexum, is based on a well-preserved tibiotarsus bone found in the same geological formation near Richmond.
This fossil is the second Cretaceous bird named from Australia, providing valuable insights into the ancient environment and animal diversity in the region.
A second specimen, a complete tarsometatarsal bone, was also unearthed near Richmond, marking the first discovery of its kind from Cretaceous deposits in Australia.
The discovery of these avian fossils enhances our understanding of bird diversity and ecology in the region, adding to the growing list of fauna in the Thulebook Formation.
Published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, this finding sheds light on the unique fauna of the Rich Inland Sea ecosystem.
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Matt A. White et al. (Tenuicris piscanexum): a new addition to Australia’s rare Cretaceous bird fossils. Published online on September 28, 2026. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2703151
Source: www.sci.news
