Zealandornis

Zealandornis (meaning "Zealandia bird") is an extinct genus of zealandornithid bird from the early Miocene Bannockburn Formation of Otago, New Zealand. The genus contains a single species, Zealandornis relictus, known from a distal right humerus.^[1]

Zealandornis Temporal range: Early Miocene, 19–16 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype humerus in cranial (A), caudal (B), dorsal (C), and ventral (D) views
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Family:	†Zealandornithidae Worthy et al., 2022
Genus:	†Zealandornis Worthy et al., 2022
Species:	†Z. relictus
Binomial name
†Zealandornis relictus Worthy et al., 2022

Discovery and naming

The Zealandornis holotype specimen, NMNZ S.52077, was discovered on the east bank of the Manuherikia River in a lower layer of the Bannockburn Formation in the Manuherikia Group, near St Bathans, Otago, New Zealand.^[1]

In 2022, Worthy et al. described Zealandornis relictus, a new extinct genus and species of bird. The generic name, "Zealandornis", combines a reference to the taxon's origin from Zealandia with the Greek "ὄρνις (ornis)", meaning "bird". The specific name, "relictus", refers to something that is "remaining" or "left behind".^[1]

Classification

Zealandornis is a member of the monotypic family Zealandornithidae. This clade, erected with the description of Zealandornis, was likely a member of the Telluraves, with similarities to the Coliiformes.^[1]

See also

• List of bird species described in the 2020s