Taiwan-Germany Collaboration Discovers Extinct Endemic Bird 'Extinction Peacock' Larger Than Mikado Pheasant
A research team from National Taiwan University, in collaboration with German scholars, has discovered a large, extinct bird species endemic to Taiwan, named 'Extinction Peacock' (Pavo miejue). Larger than the extant Mikado Pheasant, the finding was published in an international journal.
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(Central News Agency, Chen Zhizhong, Taipei, 12th) A team of faculty and students from National Taiwan University, in collaboration with German scholars, has discovered an extinct bird species endemic to Taiwan. Its body size is larger than the extant Mikado Pheasant, and it has been formally named 'Extinction Peacock' (Pavo miejue). The discovery was recently published in an international journal.
National Taiwan University recently stated on its website 'Focus News' that Associate Professor Tsai Cheng-Hsiu from the Department of Life Science and the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, together with third-year undergraduate student Lan Yung-Jie (first author of the paper) and Dr. Gerald Mayr from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany, published the paper on the discovery of the 'Extinction Peacock' in the international journal Royal Society Open Science, attracting academic attention.
The aforementioned research originated from a well-preserved and well-conditioned humerus fossil donated by retired teacher Hou Li-Ren. The research team conducted an in-depth morphological analysis, confirming that the fossil belongs to a large peafowl species that lived in Taiwan during the Pleistocene epoch and is now extinct, thereby unveiling the mystery of Taiwan's endemic extinct birds.
Regarding the reason for naming it 'Extinction Peacock', the research team stated that it was specifically named to raise public awareness of past extinction events in Taiwan.
The research team pointed out that the 'Mikado Pheasant' printed on the NT$1000 banknote is widely known as the largest extant endemic bird species in Taiwan. However, the discovery of the Extinction Peacock indicates that endemic bird species in Taiwan's life history once possessed even larger body sizes.
The research team noted that Taiwan's biodiversity is very rich, and we should not only focus on 'extant' species. Understanding past extinction events can provide a broader perspective for the academic community to address the ongoing 'Sixth Mass Extinction' (the rapid disappearance of Earth's organisms caused by human activities such as habitat destruction, climate change, and overexploitation). (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150612
Research published in Royal Society Open Science:
A new Pleistocene peafowl from Taiwan reveals the extinction of a large galliform bird in East Asia Open Access
National Taiwan University recently stated on its website 'Focus News' that Associate Professor Tsai Cheng-Hsiu from the Department of Life Science and the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, together with third-year undergraduate student Lan Yung-Jie (first author of the paper) and Dr. Gerald Mayr from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany, published the paper on the discovery of the 'Extinction Peacock' in the international journal Royal Society Open Science, attracting academic attention.
The aforementioned research originated from a well-preserved and well-conditioned humerus fossil donated by retired teacher Hou Li-Ren. The research team conducted an in-depth morphological analysis, confirming that the fossil belongs to a large peafowl species that lived in Taiwan during the Pleistocene epoch and is now extinct, thereby unveiling the mystery of Taiwan's endemic extinct birds.
Regarding the reason for naming it 'Extinction Peacock', the research team stated that it was specifically named to raise public awareness of past extinction events in Taiwan.
The research team pointed out that the 'Mikado Pheasant' printed on the NT$1000 banknote is widely known as the largest extant endemic bird species in Taiwan. However, the discovery of the Extinction Peacock indicates that endemic bird species in Taiwan's life history once possessed even larger body sizes.
The research team noted that Taiwan's biodiversity is very rich, and we should not only focus on 'extant' species. Understanding past extinction events can provide a broader perspective for the academic community to address the ongoing 'Sixth Mass Extinction' (the rapid disappearance of Earth's organisms caused by human activities such as habitat destruction, climate change, and overexploitation). (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150612
Research published in Royal Society Open Science:
A new Pleistocene peafowl from Taiwan reveals the extinction of a large galliform bird in East Asia Open Access
FAQ
What is the scientific name of the 'Extinction Peacock'?
It is Pavo miejue.
Where can the research paper be found?
It is published as open access in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
What led to this discovery?
A humerus fossil donated by retired teacher Hou Li-Ren.