New palaeontological data from the excavation of the Late Glacial Glencrieff miring bone deposit, North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand

Abstract

The avifauna from the Glencrieff swamp deposit in North Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, is described. Radiocarbon ages of moa bones bracket miring at the site to between 10,000 and 12,000 (uncalibrated) years BP. Heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) and eastern moa (Emeus crassus) dominated the moa assemblage at the site, while South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) and stout-legged moa (Euryapteryx curtus, formerly E. gravis (in part)) were rare. The total assemblage from the site consists of at least 1896 bones from 18 species of birds, of which nine are extinct and a further three locally extinct. In addition, we report on the discovery of the oldest known moa gizzard contents, the palynology of the Glencrieff deposit and comment on significant recent changes in site preservation conditions that are threatening the continued preservation of this significant fossil deposit.