Scientists open a million-year-old time capsule beneath New Zealand, Science Daily, 26 March 2026
A million-year-old cave find shows New Zealand’s wildlife was already being reinvented by volcanoes and climate chaos—long before humans arrived.
Summary:
Deep inside a cave, scientists uncovered fossils from 16 species, including a newfound kākāpō ancestor that may have been able to fly. These remains reveal that New Zealand’s ecosystems were constantly disrupted by volcanic eruptions and rapid climate shifts. Long before humans, waves of extinction and replacement reshaped the islands’ wildlife. It’s a rare window into a missing chapter of natural history.