Dromornis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dromornis Fossil range: Late Miocene - Early Pliocene |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dromornis stirtoni
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
Dromornis is a genus of prehistoric birds. It contained the largest flightless birds to have ever existed, standing 3 meters tall and weighing a quarter of a ton. Dromornis lived in Australia from the late Miocene to the early Pliocene, therefore meaning that early humans never encountered this genus. Dromornis stirtoni had a huge beak and jaw capable of great force but did not have the beak or claws of a carnivore. No one really knows for sure what they ate.
They are sometimes referred to as Mihirung birds. 'Mihirung paringmal' is an Aboriginal word from the Tjapwuring people of Western Victoria and it means 'giant bird'. Although they looked like giant emus, the Dromornis stirtoni are more closely related to geese.
Dromornis stirtoni are part of a family of giant birds called Dromornithidae that lived from 15 million years ago until less than 30,000 years ago. Australia had been separated from the big southern landmass of Gondwana for millions of years by this time. The animals of Australia had evolved very slowly in almost complete isolation from the animals of other continents. There were forests and a permanent water supply at Alcoota where the Dromornis birds lived, although the climate was very unpredictable.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Owen, R. (1872): [Untitled]. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1872: 682-683
 |
This prehistoric bird article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
