Genyornis
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| Genyornis newtoni Stirling & Zietz, 1896 |
Genyornis (Genyornis newtoni) was a monotypic genus of large, flightless bird that lived in Australia until 50±5 thousand years ago. Many species became extinct in Australia around that time, coinciding with the arrival of humans.
It is not clear to what degree Dromornithidae were carnivores. The massive, crushing beaks at least of some species suggest that they were a combination of predators and scavengers, much like today's hyenas. Their closest living relatives are waterfowl.
A study has been performed1 where more than 700 Genyornis eggshell fragments were dated. Through this means, it was determined that Genyornis declined and became extinct over a short period of time -- too short for it to be plausibly explained by climate change. The authors considered this to be a very good indication that the entire mass extinction event in Australia was due to human activity, rather than climate change.
[edit] External links
- http://www.lostkingdoms.com/facts/factsheet50.htm Genyornis factsheet at Australia's Lost Kingdoms
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Miller GH, Magee JW, Johnson BJ, Fogel ML, Spooner NA, McCulloch MT, Ayliffe LK., Pleistocene extinction of Genyornis newtoni: human impact on Australian megafauna (1999), Science 283, 205-8.
