Aptornis fossil map
Where fossils of Aptornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 18.7 million years ago to the present (Burdigalian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Named by | Mantell 1848 |
| Fossil records | 14 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Bannockburn |
About Aptornis
The adzebills are two species of gruiform birds belonging to the genus Aptornis, the sole member of the extinct family Aptornithidae, which were endemic to New Zealand. The species were divided between the North Island and South Island of the country, with Aptornis otidiformis being the North Island adzebill, and Aptornis defossor being the South Island adzebill. Additional material from the Saint Bathans fauna may represent a third species.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Adzebill (revision 1373050294), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q144809.
