New Zealand stiff-tailed duck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand stiff-tailed duckTemporal range: Holocene
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| Conservation status | |
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Extinct (1500s)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oxyura
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| Species: |
vantetsi
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The New Zealand stiff-tailed duck (Oxyura vantetsi) was an extinct duck species that lived in New Zealand. We know about this duck only from its subfossil remains, which are very old bones found in the ground. Scientists first officially described it as a unique species in 2005.
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About the New Zealand Stiff-tailed Duck
This special duck was a close relative of the blue-billed duck (Oxyura australis), which still lives in Australia today. However, the bones of the New Zealand stiff-tailed duck were about one-tenth (10%) smaller than those of its Australian cousin. This tells us it was a bit smaller in size.
Where Were Its Bones Found?
The very first main fossil, called the holotype, was discovered in 1967. It was found at Lake Poukawa in Hawke's Bay, which is on the North Island of New Zealand. This important fossil is now kept safely in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
The scientific name of this duck, vantetsi, was chosen to honor a respected Australian bird expert named Gerard Frederick van Tets (1929–1995). He was the first person to realize, back in 1983, that this New Zealand duck was related to other stiff-tailed ducks around the world.
How Was It Identified?
For a long time, the bones of the New Zealand stiff-tailed duck were not properly labeled. It wasn't until 2004 that Trevor H. Worthy, a scientist from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, carefully studied them. He identified 19 bones that belonged to this specific duck. These bones were part of a much larger collection of 13,000 fossil remains of waterfowl (birds that live on water) found at Lake Poukawa.
The fossil remains that helped identify this duck included different parts of its arm bones, called humeri. These included left humeri, the lower parts of left humeri, right humeri, the lower parts of right humeri, and the upper parts of right humeri.
Why Did It Disappear?
Scientists believe the New Zealand stiff-tailed duck likely disappeared around the 16th century (the 1500s). It is thought that its extinction was probably due to hunting by the early Māori settlers.
