Unraveling the Strange Case of the First Canarian Land Fauna (Lower Pliocene)
Journal: Fossil Studies
Year: 2025

Geological data of the region indicate that the Canary Islands have not been connected to the mainland before. However, fossil evidence suggests some kind of faunal exchange with Africa during the late Neogene. After extensive field work during past years, a re-evaluation of the fossil remains of the first terrestrial vertebrates that settled and thrived on the Canary Islands is presented, with special attention to the long-debated identity of birds that laid large-sized eggs, reported some deca