Fossil shows pigeon was related to dodo
A NEW pigeon species related to the extinct dodo bird has been found at a Central Otago fossil site near St Bathans.
The Zealandian dove, which lived in the South Island some 19 million to 16 million years ago, was identified from a few fossil bones found at St Bathans over the past 16 years.
One of the bones found on the wing was similar to the toothbilled pigeon (found only in Samoa), the crowned pigeons of New Guinea, and the Nicobar pigeon (Southeast Asia), Dr Vanesa De Pietri, of Canterbury Museum, said.
The latter was the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and the solitaire (another extinct, flightless bird) from the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, Dr De Pietri said.
‘‘Based on the St Bathans fossils, we think that the Zealandian dove is part of this IndoPacific group. It is probably most similar to the Nicobar pigeon and is therefore a close relative [or at least a cousin] of the famous dodo,’’ she said.
Te Papa curator Alan Tennyson said the loss of diversity in fauna might have contributed to the bird’s extinction.
‘‘The disappearance of these pigeons from New Zealand’s fauna was likely linked to the marked climatic cooling that took place between 14.2 and 13.8 million years ago. Until then New Zealand’s subtropical flora and fauna was very diverse with fruitbearing trees such as laurels,’’ he said.
‘‘This loss of floral diversity certainly had an impact on fruit and seedeating birds, and may have been responsible for the subsequent loss in pigeon diversity in New Zealand.’’
‘The discovery of fossils and identification of the pigeon species in relation to the dodo was a rare occurrence at St Bathans, Dr Trevor Worthy, of Flinders University, said.
‘‘Pigeon fossils are rare in the St Bathans fauna and are outnumbered by about 30 to one by parrots, which perhaps reflects the relative abundance of these treedwelling birds in the St Bathans fauna,’’ he said.
The Zealandian dove was the second pigeon to be found at the St Bathans fossil site, Prof Paul Scofield, of Canterbury Museum, said.
‘‘Some years ago we described the St Bathans pigeon, which we believe is a relative of New Zealand’s two living native pigeons and to the Australian topknot pigeon,’’ Prof Scofield said.
New Zealand now only had two species of native pigeons, the New Zealand pigeon and the Chatham Island pigeon, he said.