A new Pleistocene peafowl from Taiwan reveals the extinction of a large galliform bird in East Asia

Abstract Pleistocene land birds remain rare in East Asia, which hinders the understanding of avian extinctions and the emergence of modern avian diversity in this part of the world. Abundant extinct mammals and reptiles have been documented from the Pleistocene of Taiwan, revealing significant Pleistocene extinctions. However, no fossil evidence shows such events for birds. In this study, we describe a newly discovered humerus from the Middle Pleistocene of the Chiting Formation (Tainan). Its morphology shows a close match to the genus Pavo (peafowl), which does not occur in Taiwan today. The fossil humerus represents a new species and is described as Pavo miejue sp. nov., and its size (comparable to that of large peafowls) significantly exceeds that of the modern galliform birds in Taiwan. The new species is the first extinct Pleistocene bird from Taiwan, indicating a previously unknown avian extinction in East Asia. Pavo miejue also extends the known distribution of Pavo to easternmost Asia. The fossil demonstrates the potential and significance of palaeornithological research in Taiwan for understanding avian extinction events and the origin of modern avian diversity in East Asia.