An illustration of the ‘Vegavis iaai’ diving for fish in the shallow ocean off the coast of the Antarctic peninsula about 69 million years ago. Photo: Mark Witton/Handout via ReutersA recent study found a nearly complete skull in Antarctica that may belong to an ancient ancestor of ducks and geese called Vegavis iaai.
This species lived around 68 million years ago. It could be the oldest known modern bird.
Its brain structure and long beak resemble those of today’s waterfowl, even though its strong jaw muscles are more similar to those of other modern birds like grebes and loons.
For years, scientists were uncertain about Vegavis’s place in the evolutionary tree due to the scarcity of modern bird fossils from before the mass extinction that occurred 66 million years ago. This event wiped out a significant number of species.
Unlike findings in Madagascar and Argentina, where ancient birds had teeth and long tails, it seems Antarctica had a unique development path for birds.