Prehistoric Lovebirds Lived in Cradle of Humankind 2.5 Million Years Ago

Aug. 19, 2024 by Natali Anderson



Life reconstruction of a pair of Agapornis longipes feeding on the ground in the Early Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng, South Africa, during the dry season. Image credit: Martina Cadin.


“Lovebirds (genus Agapornis) are small-sized parrots endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar,” said Dr. Marco Pavia from the Università degli Studi di Torino and his colleagues.

“They currently include nine species living in woodlands or wooden savannahs where they breed in tree cavities and feed on grass seeds or fruits collected primarily on the ground and, to a lesser degree, on trees.”

“According to genetic data, parrots colonized Africa in the Late Eocene/Early Oligocene and Agapornis only colonized Africa from Australasia in the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene, around 24 million years ago.”

“Psittacula krameri is the latest parrot to have dispersed into the continent, near the Plio-Pleistocene boundary (2.5-1.5 million years ago).”

More:
https://www.sci.news/paleontology/agapornis-longipes-13187.html