Giant duck remains found in New Zealand

The giant duck had to be about 70 centimeters long and weigh at least 2 kilos.

For twenty years, researchers from the former gold and coal mining town of St Bathans in New Zealand have been searching for fossil remains. And it pays off. During this time, several animals have been discovered that lived here millions of years ago. In a new study researchers come up with another wonderful discovery. Because in one of New Zealand’s richest fossil sites, they’ve found a new, extinct species of duck.

giant duck
It turns out to be a particularly large specimen, as shown by the discovery of a large wing bone. Named Catriona, the duck was to look like the paradise casarca – an endemic New Zealand duck – but larger. For example, the giant duck was probably about 70 centimeters long and weighed at least 2 kilograms.

Catriona’s wing bone (left) compared to a wing bone from another duck found at St Bathans (right). Image: University of Otago

the biggest
It is not uncommon to find duck remains in St Bathans. In fact, duck bones are the most common bird bones found at St Bathans. We already know seven species of ducks. But none of them were as huge as Catriona. “It’s the largest of all the ducks found here,” said study researcher Alan Tennyson.

The discovery once again demonstrates just how rich the wildlife of St Bathans once was. Several exotic species, such as relatives of flamingos and crocodiles, have already been discovered here. The ancestors of today’s kiwis and bridge lizards also lived here.

Manuherikia Lake
All these animals probably lived together around a gigantic prehistoric lake called Lake Manuherikia. And thanks to the discovery of more and more fossil remains, we are expanding our knowledge of the fauna of this time. “The fauna of St Bathans is around 15 to 19 million years old,” said researcher Nic Rawlence. “It opens a window into a real Miocene wonderland that we knew relatively little about until recently.”

Faded away
Unfortunately, the newly discovered giant duck didn’t live forever. Tennyson suspects that Catriona became extinct due to dramatic tectonic and climatic changes in the area, ultimately causing the entire lake to disappear. “Or maybe the duck has become a modern species and its descendants are still with us,” suggests the researcher.

Overall, the new discovery highlights the global significance of the St Bathans fossils. “We are now beginning to better understand the evolution of ducks and their relatives,” concludes Tennyson.