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Nelepsittacus
''Nelepsittacus'' is a genus of extinct New Zealand parrots that is closely related to the genus '' Nestor'' (the living kaka and kea). It consists of four species, of which three have been named so far. The species are all known from the early Miocene Saint Bathans Fauna from the Lower Bannockburn Formation in Otago in New Zealand. Features in their skeletons, namely the coracoid, humerus, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus, that they share only with the ''Nestor'' parrots link them to that genus.Leo Joseph, Alicia Toon, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Timothy F. Wright & Richard Schodde. (2012) A revised nomenclature and classification for family-group taxa of parrots (Psittaciformes). Zootaxa 3205: 26–40 Flora from the Saint Bathans fauna fossil beds indicate these parrots were found in a subtropical rainforest habitat. Following the early to mid Miocene, there was a drop in temperature, which led to a loss of local flora and fauna. This loss of native ''Nelepsittacus'' parrots like ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Parrot
The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae,Nestoridae and Strigopidae are described in the same article, Bonaparte, C.L. (1849) ''Conspectus Systematis Ornithologiae''. Therefore, under rules of the ICZN, the first reviser determines priority, which is Bonaparte, C.L. (1850), ''Conspectus Generum Avium'', E.J. Brill, Leyden. consists of at least three genera of parrots – '' Nestor'', '' Strigops'', the fossil '' Nelepsittacus'', and probably the fossil ''Heracles''. The genus ''Nestor'' consists of the kea, kākā, Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā, while the genus ''Strigops'' contains the iconic kākāpō. All extant species are endemic to New Zealand. The species of the genus ''Nelepsittacus'' were endemics of the main islands, while the two extinct species of the genus ''Nestor'' were found at the nearby oceanic islands such as Chatham Island of New Zealand, and Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. The Norfolk kaka and the Chatham kaka have become extinct in recent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strigopoidea
The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae,Nestoridae and Strigopidae are described in the same article, Bonaparte, C.L. (1849) ''Conspectus Systematis Ornithologiae''. Therefore, under rules of the ICZN, the first reviser determines priority, which is Bonaparte, C.L. (1850), ''Conspectus Generum Avium'', E.J. Brill, Leyden. consists of at least three genera of parrots – '' Nestor'', '' Strigops'', the fossil '' Nelepsittacus'', and probably the fossil ''Heracles''. The genus ''Nestor'' consists of the kea, kākā, Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā, while the genus ''Strigops'' contains the iconic kākāpō. All extant species are endemic to New Zealand. The species of the genus ''Nelepsittacus'' were endemics of the main islands, while the two extinct species of the genus ''Nestor'' were found at the nearby oceanic islands such as Chatham Island of New Zealand, and Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. The Norfolk kaka and the Chatham kaka have become extinct in re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nestoridae Phylogeography
The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae,Nestoridae and Strigopidae are described in the same article, Bonaparte, C.L. (1849) ''Conspectus Systematis Ornithologiae''. Therefore, under rules of the ICZN, the first reviser determines priority, which is Bonaparte, C.L. (1850), ''Conspectus Generum Avium'', E.J. Brill, Leyden. consists of at least three genera of parrots – ''Nestor'', '' Strigops'', the fossil ''Nelepsittacus'', and probably the fossil ''Heracles''. The genus ''Nestor'' consists of the kea, kākā, Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā, while the genus ''Strigops'' contains the iconic kākāpō. All extant species are endemic to New Zealand. The species of the genus ''Nelepsittacus'' were endemics of the main islands, while the two extinct species of the genus ''Nestor'' were found at the nearby oceanic islands such as Chatham Island of New Zealand, and Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. The Norfolk kaka and the Chatham kaka have become extinct in recent t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heracles Inexpectatus
''Heracles inexpectatus'' is a giant fossil parrot species from New Zealand, assigned to a monotypic genus ''Heracles'', that lived during the early Miocene approximately 16 to 19 million years ago. The species was described from two tibiotarsus fossils discovered in 2008 at Saint Bathans, Otago, New Zealand. It is believed that the species stood up to 90 cm (2 ft 11 in) tall and weighed approximately 7 kg (15 lb). Initial analysis suggests that this parrot is from the order Psittaciforme and from the superfamily Strigopoidea, which consists of three confirmed primitive genera of parrots: ''Nestor'' (kea and kaka), '' Strigops'' (kakapo) and the fossil ''Nelepsittacus''. It may have been the ancestor of the kakapo. The species was likely flightless, and its robust beak could crack open more than the conventional parrot foods of fruit, nuts, and berries. Like the kakapo, ''Heracles'' may have used its strong beak to climb trees. It shared its environment with fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Bathans Fauna
The St Bathans fauna is found in the lower Bannockburn Formation of the Manuherikia Group of Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It comprises a suite of fossilised prehistoric animals from the late Early Miocene (Altonian) period, with an age range of 19–16 million years ago. The layer in which the fossils are found derives from littoral zone sediments deposited in a shallow, freshwater lake, with an area of 5600 km2 from present day Central Otago to Bannockburn and the Nevis Valley in the west; to Naseby in the east; and from the Waitaki Valley in the north to Ranfurly in the south. The lake was bordered by an extensive floodplain containing herbaceous and grassy wetland habitats with peat-forming swamp–woodland. At that time the climate was warm with a distinctly subtropical Australian climate and the surrounding vegetation was characterised by casuarinas, eucalypts and palms as well as podocarps, araucarias and southern beeches. The fossilifero ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nestor (genus)
The genus ''Nestor'' is the type and only extant taxon, extant genus of the parrot family Nestoridae. Together with the kākāpō, and the extinct parrots in the genus ''Nelepsittacus'', they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea. The genus ''Nestor'' contains two Extant taxon, extant parrot species from New Zealand and two extinct species from Norfolk Island, Australia and Chatham Island, New Zealand, respectively. All species are large stocky birds with short squarish tails. A defining characteristic of the genus is the tongue, which is tipped with a hair-like fringe. The superficial resemblance of this tongue to that of lorikeets has led some taxonomists to consider the two groups closely related, but DNA evidence shows they are not. Classification All four species in the genus ''Nestor'' are thought to stem from a 'proto-kākā', dwelling in the forests of New Zealand 5 million years ago. The closest living relative of the genus is the kākāpō (''Strigops habroptilus'').d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Merton
Donald Vincent Merton (22 February 193910 April 2011) was a New Zealand conservationist best known for saving the black robin from extinction. He also discovered the lek breeding system of the kākāpō. When Merton began his work as a conservationist, kākāpō were believed to be extinct, but about 20 years into his career a small population was found in a semi-remote national park in mainland New Zealand. However, it was several months before they finally found a female, and soon after they found the first female they discovered a surprise, well-fed chick a few weeks old. Merton and his crew initially wanted to relocate all of the rediscovered kākāpō they found to Codfish Island, but the New Zealand Department of Conservation only gave permission to relocate 20. Despite the limited relocation, the kākāpō population has steadily recovered (as of 2019 there are 147 mature adult kākāpō, and the 2019 season produced 181 eggs and 34 chicks so far, though not all are like ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Extinct Birds Of New Zealand
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. Because a species' potential range may be very large, determining this moment is difficult, and is usually done retrospectively. This difficulty leads to phenomena such as Lazarus taxa, where a species presumed extinct abruptly "reappears" (typically in the fossil record) after a period of apparent absence. More than 99% of all species that ever lived on Earth, amounting to over five billion species, are estimated to have died out. It is estimated that there are currently around 8.7 million species of eukaryote globally, and possibly many times more if microorganisms, like bacteria, are included. Notable extinct animal species include non-avian dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, dodos, m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird Genera
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the ostrich. There are about ten thousand living species, more than half of which are passerine, or "perching" birds. Birds have whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming. Bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daphne Lee
Daphne E. Lee is a New Zealand geologist, palaeontologist and associate professor at the University of Otago. She is best known for her work on Foulden Maar and her research into fossils discovered at that site. Biography Lee is an honorary associate professor at the geology department of the University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u .... She is a coordinator of a research team that has focused on researching the fossil site Foulden Maar. Foulden Maar Lee has published both scholarly research as well as a book on the fossils of Foulden Maar. Lee was a vocal opponent of the proposed mining of Foulden Maar. Awards Lee was awarded the Geoscience Society of New Zealand McKay Hammer Award in 2017. Selected publications * References {{ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galah
The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the cockatoos. With its distinctive pink and grey plumage and its bold and loud behaviour, it is a familiar sight in the wild and increasingly in urban areas. It has benefited from the change in the landscape since European colonisation, and appears to be replacing the Major Mitchell's cockatoo in parts of its range. Etymology The term galah is derived from ''gilaa'', a word from the Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring Aboriginal languages spoken in north-western New South Wales. Description The galah is about in length, and weighs . It has a pale silver to grey back, a pale grey rump, a pink face and breast, and a light pink mobile crest. It has a bone-coloured beak, and the bare skin of the eye ring is carunculated. It has grey legs. The sexes a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian King Parrot
The Australian king parrot (''Alisterus scapularis'') is a species of parrot endemic to eastern Australia ranging from Cooktown in Queensland to Port Campbell in Victoria. Found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest. They feed on fruits and seeds gathered from trees or on the ground. Taxonomy The Australian king parrot was first described by the German naturalist Martin Lichtenstein in 1818 as ''Psittacus scapularis''. The species belongs to the genus '' Alisterus'', whose three members are also known as king parrots. The species are sometimes allied to the genus '' Aprosmictus''. Two subspecies are recognised, which are differentiated by size: **''A. s. minor'' (Mathews, 1911) **''A. s. scapularis'' (Lichtenstein, 1816) Naturally-occurring hybrids with the red-winged parrot (''Aprosmictus erythropterus'') have been recorded from Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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