The Miocene diving petrel was described from a partial humerus recovered from 19-16 million-year-old (Early Miocene) lake-bed deposits near Mata Creek, St Bathans, central Otago. The holotype (NMNZ S.42431) is held at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

The Miocene diving petrel was similar in size to a South Georgian diving petrel, and slightly smaller than a common diving petrel. It is by far the earliest record of the genus and family. The only other fossil diving petrel described (the South African species P. cymatotrypetes of Early Pliocene age) is 10-15 million years more recent.

The species name is derived from the Māori name for diving petrels (kuaka) combined with ‘Mio’ denoting the Miocene age of the fossil deposit.

Weblinks

Te Papa collections

Wikipedia

Te Ara

References

Worthy, T.H.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Jones, C.; McNamara, J.A.; Douglas, B.J. 2007. Miocene waterfowl and other birds from central Otago, New Zealand. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 5: 1-39.

Recommended citation

Miskelly, C.M. 2013 [updated 2022]. Miocene diving petrel. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz