Emily Chan
The skull showed evidence of adaptations that made the bird well-suited for living near bodies of water.
For instance, its nostrils were located far back by the eyes, a feature that helped with feeding underwater.
Additionally, the ear was separated from regions involving jaw movement, so the bird was able to submerge its head without water getting into its ears.
G. newtoni did not have obvious characteristics that would indicate they live near water, like duck bills or webbed feet, but they share similarities to two modern waterfowl species—South American screamers and Australian magpie geese.
With this latest discovery, scientists can finally reconstruct the bird’s likeness and piece together its evolution.
The region they once inhabited was filled with freshwater bodies that have since dried up, possibly contributing to the extinction of the birds.
The details of the new findings are published in the journal Historical Biology.
