Ancient Goose Fossil Challenges Long-Held Theories About New Zealand Birds

Researchers reexamined Miocene goose fossils from near St Bathans, New Zealand, and identified a new species, Metechen luti.

The find shows the St Bathans goose was not a direct ancestor of the giant flightless Cnemiornis geese.

Instead, New Zealand’s goose history appears to involve repeated colonization, extinction, and rapid island-driven evolution.

The study revises the timeline of bird evolution in Aotearoa and suggests a more complex arrival pattern for ancient geese.