Ancient bird fossil found in Antarctica sheds new light on waterfowl evolution
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A 69-million-year-old fossilised bird skull discovered in Antarctica is offering new insights into the evolution of modern waterfowl, according to scientists.
The fossil, belonging to Vegavis iaai, is considered a close relative of today’s ducks and geese.
Researchers highlight that the skull, which is almost entirely preserved, provides the strongest evidence so far of the species’ connection to modern waterfowl.
The study, published in Nature and led by Christopher Torres, a paleontologist at the University of the Pacific, details the structural features of the skull that link Vegavis iaai to present-day waterfowl.
The skull, estimated to be between 69.2 and 68.4 million years old, exhibits a toothless beak, a small upper jaw, and a braincase with optic lobes resembling those of modern birds. Scientists suggest that these features indicate advanced vision and motor skills, which may have helped Vegavis iaai hunt for fish in the coastal waters of Cretaceous Antarctica.
The findings support theories that Antarctica may have acted as a refuge for birds during the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event around 66 million years ago.
Some experts believe that certain bird lineages survived the catastrophic impact of the Chicxulub asteroid due to their location in the Southern Hemisphere. The fossil's characteristics suggest that some avian species were already highly evolved before the extinction event, reinforcing the idea that modern bird traits were present millions of years earlier than previously thought.
Despite the significance of the discovery, some experts remain cautious about its classification.
Daniel Field, a paleontologist from the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study, told Science News that while the fossil is valuable, it may not definitively prove that Vegavis iaai was a modern anseriform (waterfowl species). He noted that some features identified in the study could also be found in more primitive bird species, suggesting that further research is needed to confirm its exact evolutionary placement.