Rare Pleistocene Period Flamingo Egg Found in Mexico

An 8,000 to 12,000-year-old flamingo fossil egg was discovered at a construction site for a new airport in Mexico.

According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the discovery was made at a depth of 31 cm (12 inches) at a building site in Santa Luca, adding that the specimen was "discovered in an exceptional state of conservation."

The egg was believed to be from the Pleistocene Epoch, as reported by the Mexico News Daily.

Rare preserved egg

The fossil egg is 93.5 millimeters long and 55.8 millimeters broad; it has an elongated shape with sharp tips on both ends and no pattern of dots on the shell.

A study was conducted to recognize the eggs of different groups of birds using their measurements: maximum length and width, as well as the shape and pattern of the shell.

The size and shape of recent eggs from various aquatic species on the American continent, such as the American white pelican, white geese, razorbill, guillemot, tundra swan, and common loonas, as well as the sandhill crane, were compared during the study.

However, the results revealed that its dimensions are quite similar to those of flamingos, which were only allocated to the flamingo family level (Phoenicopteridae).

The exceptionally preserved Pleistocene egg is extremely rare.

It is the first discovery of its kind in the Americas and just the second in the world from the Phoenicopteridae flamingo family.

The Mexican Institute said the records of fossil flamingo bones in America range from the late Miocene (11.63 million years ago) to the Holocene (11,700 years ago), and are found in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

According to the Greek Reporter, the Pleistocene geological epoch, which is the most recent Ice Age, began around 2.6 million years ago. It lasted a long time, finally coming to an end around 11,700 years ago.

Significant temperature changes and glaciations happened during this epoch, changing the Earth's geography and impacting the evolution of diverse species.

Region's ancient environment condition

The discovery provides an intriguing look at the region's past climatic conditions and the various animals that formerly thrived in Mexico.

Mexican scientists suggest that the presence of the egg indicates that the location was the site of a shallow lake between 8,000 and 33,000 years ago, and that flamingos formerly thrived in central Mexico.

"Flamingos were part of the lake landscapes of Central Mexico, and that the lakes that made up the Basin of Mexico underwent a significant number of changes, possibly due to the environmental influence derived from the glaciations and the intense volcanic activity," INAH said in a statement, as quoted by Eseuro.

The flamingo species, known for its brilliant pink feathers, may be found primarily in South America, the Caribbean, the Yucatan peninsula, and the United States' southeast coast.

Large alkaline or saline lakes or estuary lagoons with little vegetation are the flamingo's preferred environment.

Flamingos are non-migratory birds in general. However, flamingo colonies are not always permanent due to changes in the environment and water levels in their breeding grounds.

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