Manuherikia River site, Saint Bathans, Home Hills Station, HH1a (Miocene of New Zealand)

Also known as H41/f88

Where: South Island, New Zealand (44.9° S, 169.9° E: paleocoordinates 49.7° S, 179.5° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Casuarinaceae pollen zone, Bannockburn Formation (Manuherikia Group), Altonian (19.0 - 15.9 Ma)

• "Bed HH1a, a sand layer bound by clay layers, in the Manuherikia River section, 6.88–7.0 m above the base of the Bannockburn Formation, allocated H41/f88 in the archival Fossil Record File of the Geological Society of NZ"

•early to earliest middle Miocene (Altonian), 19-16 Ma, Casuarinacea biozone

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; fine-grained, gray, green, silty sandstone and claystone

• from Miocene Lake Manuherikia, which extended > 5,600 square km
• "HH1a comprises a greenish grey silt or fine sand locally intermixed with quartz granules/pebbles and organic debris, incorporating algae encrusted rip-up clasts of mud, rare oncolite fragments and abundant bone fragments. The clay layer underlying HH1a is slightly humped and hollowed (±5 cm) over its lateral extent. The fossiliferous sands deposited on this surface contain ripples, about 10–12 cm between crests that indicate a current direction essentially down dip or parallel to the adjacent Manuherikia River. A result of this is that coarser material was deposited as lenses down-current of the humps on the lower clay layer."

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: original phosphate

Collection methods: quarrying, sieve,

• MNZ, Museum of NewZealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Primary reference: T. H. Worthy, A. J. D. Tennyson, M. Archer, A. M. Musser, S. J. Hand, C. Jones, B. J. Douglass, J. A. McNamara, and R. M. D. Beck. 2006. Miocene mammal reveals a Mesozoic ghost lineage on insular New Zealand, southwest Pacific. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103(51):19419-19423 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 73690: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 26.06.2007, edited by Richard Butler, Collin VanBuren and Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Amphibia
 Salientia - Leiopelmatidae
Leiopelma acricarina n. sp.13 Worthy et al. 2013 frog
NMNZ S.51263 (holotype), NMNZ S.50023 (paratype)
? Leiopelma miocaenale13 Worthy et al. 2013 frog
NMNZ S.50861 (distal left humerus)
Mammalia
  -
Mammalia indet. Linnaeus 1758 mammal
MNZ S.40958, MNZ S.41866, MNZ S.42214, non-eutherian mammal
 Chiroptera - Mystacinidae
Mystacinidae "unnamed species 1"5 Dobson 1875 New Zealand short-tailed bat
NMNZ S.51742, S.52083, S.44260, S.41867, S.42215
Mystacinidae "unnamed species 2"5 Dobson 1875 New Zealand short-tailed bat
NMNZ S.51739
Vulcanops jennyworthyae n. gen. n. sp.3 Hand et al. 2018 New Zealand short-tailed bat
Holotype: CM 2013.18.790, left dentary fragment with m2-3; NMNZ S.42876, right m1; NMNZ S.52078, right m1; NMNZ S.52076, left m1/2 (fragment); CM 2013.18.916, left M1; NMNZ S.44071, right M1; NMNZ S.50383, right M2,; NMNZ S.50778, right M1/2 (postero- lingual fragment); NMNZ S.52351, right incomplete M3; NMNZ S.50384, left M3 incomplete
Mystacina miocenalis4 Hand et al. 2015 New Zealand short-tailed bat
NMNZ S.52355
Reptilia
 Squamata - Scincidae
Scincidae indet.7 Gray 1825 skink
NMNZ S42618, 2 dorsal vertebrae; S42620, right maxilla; S42688, frontal; S42689, right compound bone mandible; S42728, dorsal vertebra; S43074, part right maxilla; S44001, dorsal vertebra; S44002, distal right humerus; S44216, 3 dorsal vertebrae; S44217, frontal fragment; S44218, right maxilla; S44302, dorsal vertebra; S50938, distal right humerus; S50943, dorsal vertebra; S50945, proximal right femur; S42619, part femur; S43121, proximal femur; S50022, vertebra; S50024, vertebra; S50388, vertebra; S50770, part vertebra
 Squamata -
Gekkota indet.7 squamates
NMNZ S51324, left dentary; S42731, right compound bone mandible; S42296, partial left dentary, distal femur; S42343, dorsal vertebra; S42616, dorsal vertebra; S42687, dorsal vertebra; S42730, dorsal vertebra; S43125, dorsal vertebra; S44072, 1 proximal left humerus plus ?1 left humerus; S44152, partial right maxilla; S51269, caudal vertebra; S44154, central portion of left pterygoid; S51004, left maxilla fragment with teeth; S42341, left compound bone mandible; S42342, left compound bone mandible; S42577, part left compound bone mandible; S43124, frontal; S44003, right compound bone mandible; S44153, left compound bone mandible
Lacertilia indet.7 lizard
NMNZ S42578, part pelvis small; S42579, part pelvis large; S42684, pelvis fragment; S42685, 2 distal femora; S42686, distal right humerus; S42732, pelvis; S42733, 2 distal femora; S43045, femur (2 pieces); S43046, distal femur; S43073, distal femur; S43122, distal femur; S43123, distal femur; S44004, part pelvis; S44005, femur; S44155, misc. bones; S44219, 3 part femora; S44301, 6 shafts leg bones; S44303, 2 worn parts of left compound bone mandible; S50179, distal right humerus; S50389, maxilla fragment with teeth; S50604, femur fragment
Aves
 Charadriiformes -
Charadriiformes "unnamed species 2"11 Huxley 1867 shorebird
MNZ S42807, S42850, S42860
Neilus sansomae n. gen. n. sp.2 De Pietri et al. 2016 shorebird
 Charadriiformes - Laridae
? Laridae indet.11 Vigors 1825 gull
MNZ S42736, S42681
 Charadriiformes -
Hakawai melvillei1 De Pietri et al. 2015 shorebird
NMNZ S.50490, NMNZ S 43153, CM 2013.18.195 (paratypes). Referred specimens: CM 2013.18.1054, CM 2013.18.284, NMNZ S.52160, NMNZ S.43975, NMNZ S.57903, CM 2013.18.114, NMNZ S.51871, NMNZ S.43975, NMNZ S.44064, NMNZ S.52235, NMNZ S.51604, NMNZ S.52548, NMNZ S.52461, NMNZ S.52629, CM 2013.18.1053, CM 2013.18.1055, NMNZ S. 52108, NMNZ S.51971, NMNZ S.51488, NMNZ S.51371, MNZ S.52414
 Caprimulgiformes - Apodidae
Collocalia sp.11 Gray 1840 swift
MNZ S42799
 Caprimulgiformes - Aegothelidae
Aegotheles sp.11 Vigors and Horsfield 1827 owlet-nightjar
MNZ S42800
 Passeriformes -
Passeriformes "unnamed species 2"11 Linnaeus 1758 perching bird
MNZ S40448, S40956, S42340, S42806, S42842, S42852.
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Columbidae "unnamed species 1"11 Illiger 1811 dove
MNZ S42430, 44066
Rupephaps taketake n. gen. n. sp.10 Worthy et al. 2009 dove
NMNZ S.51259 (holotype)
 Psittaciformes - Strigopidae
Nelepsittacus minimus15 Worthy et al. 2011 parrot
Nelepsittacus daphneleeae15 Worthy et al. 2011 parrot
NMNZS.42550, NMNZS.51398 (paratypes). NMNZ S.44210, NMNZ S.50609
Nelepsittacus donmertoni15 Worthy et al. 2011 parrot
NMNZ S.50261, NMNZ S.50311 (paratypes). Referred specimens NMNZ S.42854, NMNZ S.43995, NMNZ S.43996, NMNZ S.50267, NMNZ S.50281, NMNZ S.50396, NMNZ S.51422, NMNZ S.42615, NMNZ S.42832, NMNZ S.44211, NMNZ S.50265, NMNZ S.51407, NMNZ S.51501, NMNZ S.52455, NMNZ S.44308, NMNZ S.52259, NMNZ S.52541, NMNZ S.52622, NMNZ S.52623, NMNZ S.42723, NMNZ S.44310, NMNZ S.42784, NMNZ S.42853, NMNZ S.50129, NMNZ S.50301, NMNZ S.52226, NMNZ S.42614, NMNZ S.42856, NMNZ S.44309, NMNZ S.51720, NMNZ S.40458, NMNZ S.42663, NMNZ S.42855, NMNZ S.50277, NMNZ S.51409, NMNZ S.42833.
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Rallidae "unnamed species 1"11 Vigors 1825 rail
Rallidae "unnamed species 2"11 Vigors 1825 rail
 Gruiformes -
Aptornis proasciarostratus14 Worthy et al. 2011 bird
NMNZ S.52350, vertebra 16 (holotype). NMNZ S42623
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Matanas enrighti11 Worthy et al. 2007 dabbling duck
MNZ S42704 (paratype)
Miotadorna sanctibathansi n. gen. n. sp.11 Worthy et al. 2007 waterfowl
MNZ S42794, right humerus (holotype). Referred specimens: MNZ S42313, S42796, S40093, S42795
Manuherikia douglasi16 Worthy et al. 2008 stiff-tailed duck
NMNZ S.50018, NMNZ S.43945
Manuherikia minuta n. sp.11 Worthy et al. 2007 stiff-tailed duck
MNZ S42317 complete left humerus (holotype). MNZ S40472 (paratype). MNZ S42318 (paratype). Referred specimens: MNZS42320, S42803, S42804, S42319
Manuherikia lacustrina n. gen. n. sp.11 Worthy et al. 2007 stiff-tailed duck
MNZ S42307 complete left humerus (holotype). MNZ S40094 partial left humerus (paratype). MNZ S42306 complete right humerus (paratype). MNZ S42308 worn right humerus (paratype). Referred specimens: MNZ S40438, dR hum; S40474, dR hum; S40476, dL hum; S42326, dL hum; S42624, pL hum; S42625, dL hum; S42626, dR hum; S42627, pL hum; S42628, dR hum; S42701, dL hum; S42702, dR hum; S42703, pL hum; S42739, dR hum; S42745, R hum; S42746, dL hum; S42747, dL hum; S42748, dR hum; S42749, pR hum
Anserinae "unnamed species 1"16 Vigors 1825 goose
NMNZ S.50823, NMNZ S.50824
Anserinae "unnamed species 2"16 Vigors 1825 goose
NMNZ S42797, NMNZ S.50825. "anatid larger than Miotadorna sanctibathansi"
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Matuku otagoense8 Scofield et al. 2010 heron
NMNZ S.50004, NMNZ S.50854
 Phoenicopteriformes - Palaelodidae
Palaelodus aotearoa12 Worthy et al. 2010 swimming flamingo
NMNZ S.51258, a distal right tibiotarsus (paratype)
? Palaelodus aotearoa12 Worthy et al. 2010 swimming flamingo
NMNZ S.51257
 Ratitae -
Dinornithiformes indet.9 bird
Eggshell (32 specimens), NMNZ 50271, long bone shaft
Reptilia
 Eosuchia - Sphenodontidae
cf. Sphenodon sp.6 Gray 1831 lepidosaur
Partial dentaries: NMNZ S43075, NMNZ S50860