The woodpecker fossil, thought to be over 200,000 years old, was found in a stone quarry in San Pedro, around 100 miles north of Buenos Aires, surprising paleontologists with its high degree of preservation.
This finding is hoped to fill in the gaps in the evolutionary record of the woodpecker, as prior fossil evidence is quite scarce. Many species of woodpecker are considered threatened or endangered today.
A discovery of the most complete fossil woodpecker bird in South America. The specimen is something larger than today’s carpenters and was found in San Pedro, 170 kilometers north of Buenos Aires Courtesy of Museo Paleontológico de San Pedro
“We’re very pleased about this find, as it brings a unique specimen to the study of this group of birds. His skull and limbs will reveal to us data that will fill in the existing gaps in the fossil record of these birds,” José Luis Aguilar, director of the museum, said in a translated Facebook post by the Museo Paleontológico de San Pedro, announcing the find.
The bird is thought to belong to the Picidae family, of which modern-day woodpeckers are also a member. Today, woodpeckers are found in forests across the world, including in tropical rainforests, woodlands, savannahs, scrublands, and bamboo forests.
A discovery of the most complete fossil woodpecker bird in South America. The specimen is something larger than today’s carpenters and was found in San Pedro, 170 kilometers north of Buenos Aires Courtesy of Museo Paleontológico de San Pedro
A discovery of the most complete fossil woodpecker bird in South America. The specimen is something larger than today’s carpenters and was found in San Pedro, 170 kilometers north of Buenos Aires Courtesy of Museo Paleontológico de San Pedro
There are 14 species of Colaptes woodpeckers alive today, which are usually found across South and Central America. Two species, the northern flicker and the gilded flicker, are found in parts of the U.S.