TY - JOUR
T1 - A heron (Aves: Ardeidae) from the Early Miocene St Bathans fauna of southern New Zealand
AU - Scofield, Richard
AU - Worthy, Trevor H.
AU - Tennyson, Alan
PY - 2010/5/26
Y1 - 2010/5/26
N2 - We describe a fossil heron, based on seven fossil bones, from the Early Miocene Bannockburn Formation at Saint Bathans, Central Otago in the south of New Zealand. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of 50 morphological characters, we determine the new heron is a member of Ardeidae but, in an analysis where we retrieve three major lineages in Ardeidae: (1) bitterns, (2) egrets and true herons, and (3) night herons, there is no support for a sister group relationship with any of these clades. We discuss aspects of the higher taxonomy of the herons based on our phylogeny.
AB - We describe a fossil heron, based on seven fossil bones, from the Early Miocene Bannockburn Formation at Saint Bathans, Central Otago in the south of New Zealand. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of 50 morphological characters, we determine the new heron is a member of Ardeidae but, in an analysis where we retrieve three major lineages in Ardeidae: (1) bitterns, (2) egrets and true herons, and (3) night herons, there is no support for a sister group relationship with any of these clades. We discuss aspects of the higher taxonomy of the herons based on our phylogeny.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953767076&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1542
DO - 10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1542
M3 - Article
SN - 0067-1975
VL - 62
SP - 89
EP - 104
JO - Records of The Australian Museum
JF - Records of The Australian Museum
IS - 1
ER -