Dromornis stirtoni
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| Dromornis stirtoni Fossil range: Late Miocene |
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 Dromornis stirtoni
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| Dromornis stirtoni P. Rich, 1979 |
Dromornis stirtoni, or Stirton's Thunder Bird, a member of the family of Dromornithidae, is the largest flightless bird found through fossil evidence. It was three metres (10 feet) tall and weighed half a tonne (500 kilos). It inhabited subtropical open woodlands in Australia during the Late Miocene and may have been carnivorous. It was heavier than the Moa and taller than Aepyornis. Due to the poor fossil record of Dromornis australis (the type species of the genus) and the large time gap between the two Dromornis species, D. stirtoni may eventually be reassigned to the genus Bullockornis.
This species had a long neck and stub-like wings, rendering it flightless.[1] Its legs were powerful, but it is not believed to have been a fast runner.[1] The bird's beak was large and immensely powerful, leading early researchers to believe that it was used to shear through tough plant stalks.[1] However, recently others have argued that the size of the beak suggests that the bird was a carnivore.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perrenial, 102. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
- Rich, P. (1979): The Dromornithidae, an extinct family of large ground birds endemic to Australia. Bureau of National Resources, Geology and Geophysics Bulletin 184: 1–196.
[edit] External links
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