| Agapornis longipes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Life restoration of A. longipes | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Genus: | Agapornis |
| Species: | A. longipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Agapornis longipes Pavia et. al, 2024 | |
Agapornis longipes is an extinct species of lovebird that lived in the Cradle of Humankind about 2.5 million years ago.
Bones of Agapornis longipes were uncovered in three caves (Kromdraai, Cooper's Cave, and Swartkrans) [1] in the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, between 1979 and 1986 by paleontologist Bob Brain. The species was described in 2024 and given the specific name longipes , meaning "long-footed" in Latin. [2] Birds have fragile bones, so fossils of small birds such as Agapornis are typically found in small fragments, but A. longipes was unusually represented by 96 bones, some entirely complete and others incomplete. [3]
Agapornis longipes was a small species of parrot with relatively large legs compared to other lovebirds. The ratio of humerus to tarsometatarsus length was the smallest of all known Agapornis taxa, indicating long legs. The long legs suggest that the species lived primarily on the ground rather than in trees, feeding on grass seeds in the dense foliage of the South African grasslands. [2] It had proportionally shorter wings than other lovebirds, adapted to its ground-dwelling lifestyle. [4]
The environment that Agapornis longipes inhabited was similar to the grasslands of modern South Africa. Living in the Cradle of Humankind, the species lived alongside the hominids Paranthropus and Homo . Because the environment of A. longipes has not changed significantly, it is likely that the bird was driven to extinction by microclimatic changes or the extinction of a food source rather than a change in the general environment. [2]
Lovebird is the common name for the genus Agapornis, a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native to the African island of Madagascar. Social and affectionate, the name comes from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses, and seeds. Some species are kept as pets, and several coloured mutations have been selectively bred in aviculture. The average lifespan is 10 to 12 years.
The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site that is located about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, the site is home to the largest known concentration of human ancestral remains anywhere in the world. The site currently occupies 47,000 hectares (180 sq mi) and contains a complex system of limestone caves. The registered name of the site in the list of World Heritage Sites is Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa.
Taung is a small town situated in the North West Province of South Africa. The name means place of the lion and was named after Tau, the Chief of the Legoya or Bataung people. Tau is the Tswana word for lion.
Australopithecus africanus is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa. The species has been recovered from Taung, Sterkfontein, Makapansgat, and Gladysvale. The first specimen, the Taung child, was described by anatomist Raymond Dart in 1924, and was the first early hominin found. However, its closer relations to humans than to other apes would not become widely accepted until the middle of the century because most had believed humans evolved outside of Africa. It is unclear how A. africanus relates to other hominins, being variously placed as ancestral to Homo and Paranthropus, to just Paranthropus, or to just P. robustus. The specimen "Little Foot" is the most completely preserved early hominin, with 90% of the skeleton intact, and the oldest South African australopith. However, it is controversially suggested that it and similar specimens be split off into "A. prometheus".
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Lilian's lovebird, also known as the Nyasa lovebird, is a small African parrot species of the lovebird genus. It is mainly green and has orange on its upper chest and head. It is 13 cm (5 inches) long and is the smallest parrot on mainland Africa. In captivity, it is uncommon and difficult to breed.
Fischer's lovebird is a small parrot species of the genus Agapornis. They were originally discovered in the late 19th century. They are named after German explorer Gustav Fischer.
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