Ancient Parrot Bone Unearthed In New Mexico Is From Lost American Parrot

An important reminder that the ecology of the past, even the recent past, can be very different from what we see today

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A pair of thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha). These are is medium-sized parrots endemic to Mexico and formerly, the Sky Islands of the American Southwest, where they wandered freely, foraging for pinecone seeds at elevations between 6,000–9,000 feet. This parrot is adapted to cold, snowy winters, and often nests in old woodpecker holes. (Credit: Mark Dumont / CC BY-NC 2.0)

Ancient parrot bones are relatively common finds in archaeological sites in the American Southwest. Many have been…