Paleornithology-news

A new study suggests that Apteribis, an extinct ibis from the Hawaiian Islands, had an ecological niche similar to that of the modern kiwi.

They used advanced imaging technologies to create 3D reconstructions of the bird's brain and compared them with fossil species. The authors noted a reduction in areas related to vision, suggesting a nocturnal lifestyle never before seen in ibises.

Sara Citron et al. 2026. Comparative Anatomy Supports the Evolution of Nocturnality in the Extinct Hawaiian Ibis Apteribis. Integrative and Comparative Biology 66: icaf159; doi: 10.1093/icb/icaf159