#elephantbird

ORNITUSK (Ice/Ground)

The second of the six fossil hybrids, obtained from mixing the Mammalian and Avian samples you get from PALEOLITO

It is based on the Elephant Bird, a member of the Aepyornithidae family, the largest flightless bird to ever lived

Kiwi (Apteryx) - a genus of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. They're the smallest of the ratites, a group that includes ostriches, emus, cassowaries, the extinct moas and elephant birds - kiwi's closest relatives, with both lineages diverging 54 million years ago. There are five species of kiwi found in habitats ranging from subalpine scrub to podocarp forests throughout New Zealand. While none overlap today, they were widespread before the introduction of mammals such as stoats, the kiwi's main predator, and several species coexisted.

Despite differences in size, colour and habitat, all kiwi species share traits such as sexual dimorphism; females are larger than males, reliance on hearing and smell rather than sight, an omnivorous diet, and a nocturnal lifestyle; possibly a result of mammalian predators.

Kiwis were thought to be closely related to the extinct moa due to shared traits. However, DNA studies show they're closer to Madagascar's elephant birds, rather than to the moa, with which they shared New Zealand. The kiwi's massive eggs were once thought to be a shared trait with its relatives, the elephant birds; which laid the largest eggs ever recorded. However, it's now thought to be an adaptation for precocity, allowing the chicks to hatch mobile with yolk to sustain them. Fossils of the extinct genus of kiwi - Proapteryx, suggest that their ancestors were capable of flight and lost this ability after reaching New Zealand. This also suggests that kiwis arrived in New Zealand independently and much later than the Moas, which were already there.

Large Birds Among Us poster

A variety of large birds shared the planet with humans and other hominins during the Pleistocene and Holocene. Discover where the dodo, elephant bird, and Titanis lived with this amazing poster.

252mya.com/birdsmap

Aepyornis Egg, 17th century or earlier,

An exceptional, intact example of an Aepyornis maximus egg, with a creamy white and beautifully preserved stippled surface. Also known as elephant bird, the now extinct Aepyornis was native to the island of Madagascar. 

A truly enormous creature, it measured an impressive 10 feet and could weigh up to 1200 lb. Its eggs are the largest known across all species, and specimens as large as the present example are themselves among the largest elephant bird eggs ever found.

It is believed that human activity precipitated the extinction of the elephant bird, which has been associated to the legendary Malagasy vorompatra (“marsh bird”), as well as other fabled winged creatures such as the roc of the One Thousand and One Nights. 

A single Aepyornis egg could indeed provide meals for entire families and the equivalent to roughly 150 chicken eggs, making nests highly desirable targets for poaching. 

Intact examples are very rare, with less than forty known specimens currently preserved in public institutions.

Height: 13 inches (33 cm)

Large Birds Among Us poster

A variety of large birds shared the planet with humans and other hominins during the Pleistocene and Holocene. Compare the size of well-known birds like the dodo, elephant bird, and Titanis and discover where they lived with this amazing poster.

252mya.com/birdsmap