Image: NZ Herald / Gavin MouldeyA goldmine of New Zealand's prehistoric natural history has just yielded two more long-lost native species – tiny flightless rails. Scientists discovered fossil bones of what have just been described as two new species of rail near St Bathans in Central Otago, where many other ancient specimens have been unearthed previously. The remains - found in deposits estimated to be between 16 and 19 million years old – are thought to represent the oldest flightless rails known globally. Many rail species fly and have dispersed to far-flung oceanic islands. Others in the St Bathans Fauna group have included crocodiles, terrestrial turtles, flamingo-like palaelodids, swiftlets, and several pigeon, parrot and shorebird lineages.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 27, 2018 19:07 UTC