An ancient flamingo egg said to be between 8,000 and 12,000 years old was discovered at a busy airport building site in Mexico, according to recent announcements by government officials. Archaeologists are intrigued by the discovery, which advances our knowledge of the area’s prehistoric history.
The well-preserved egg originates from the Pleistocene era and is a very amazing discovery. In the Americas, it is the first of its kind to be found from the Phoenicopteridae flamingo family, according to Mexico’s INAH, while it is just the second of its kind worldwide.
In a layer of clay and shale at a depth of 31 cm (one foot), an ancient flamingo egg fossil was found. According to INAH, the discovery was made during construction at the state of Mexico’s new Felipe Angeles airport.
This fascinating find provides insightful information about the area’s prehistoric past. This statement from INAH highlighted the importance of the discovery.
The most recent Ice Age, the Pleistocene geological period, began around 2.6 million years ago. It lasted a long time until ultimately coming to an end 11,700 years ago.
Significant temperature changes and glaciations that shaped the Earth’s geography and had an impact on the evolution of numerous species took place throughout this time.
According to the reports of GreekReporter, the fossil egg led Mexican experts to conclude that the region was originally a shallow lake between eight and thirty-three thousand years ago. This research implies that flamingos were a common sight in central Mexico at the time.
The find provides an intriguing window into the area’s prehistoric climatic conditions and the varied animals that formerly thrived there.
The contemporary American flamingo is a bird that mostly lives in South America, the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and along the southeast coast of the United States. It is distinguished by its vivid pink plumage.
These stunning birds are interesting to see in their native environments due to their elegant movements and unusual colouring.
Six live species and three living genera make up the family Phoenicopteridae. The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), the larger flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), and the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) are all members of the first genus, Phoenicopterus.
Puna flamingos (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) and Andean flamingos (Phoenicoparrus andinus) are the two species that make up the second genus, Phoenicoparrus.
Less flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) belong to the third and last genus, Phoeniconaias. Known for their long legs, webbed feet, and varied hues of pink feathers, these intriguing birds are interesting to watch.
The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) distinguishes out among them due to its substantial size and vivid pink coloring.