#aepyornithidae

[herpsandbirds]

what do you know about the biggest birds that are now extinct?

Well, I think you must be talking about the Elephant BIrd!

Giant Elephantbird (Aepyornis maximus), order Aepyornithiformes, were found in Madagascar

EXTINCT. (~1000 CE)

Closest living relatives are probably the kiwis.

Largest living species of bird to have existed, growing up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and weighing up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). (They were, of course, flightless).

Extinction was most likely caused by overhunting.

These birds were generalist feeders, probably feeding a great number of seeds, fruit, and possibly small animals.

They may have been nocturnal.

[mesozoicmarket]

A fossilized bird eggshell from an elephant bird or Aepyornis sp. from Itampolo, Madagascar. While eggs of these massive paleognath birds were seen in the past at high end auctions, much of what still remains on the market are isolated eggshells which are often used to make composite eggs. This species of flightless ratite bird was hunted to extinction by humans relatively recently around 1000 years ago. Unfortunately, there are no surviving members of the elephant bird clade with their closest living relatives being kiwis.

[alphynix]

Island Weirdness #22 -- Aepyornis maximus

Along with a lot of unusual mammals, Madagascar was also home to some of the largest birds to ever exist: the giant elephant birds.

Despite being located so close to mainland Africa, these enormous flightless ratites weren’t the closest relatives of ostriches as might be expected. Instead their closest living relatives are the kiwis of New Zealand, and they must have descended from flying ancestors that reached Madagascar across the Indian Ocean sometime during the early-to-mid Cenozoic.

Aepyornis maximus was one of the biggest of these big birds, standing around 3m tall (9′10″) and weighing over 500kg (1,100 lbs). Its eggs were equally massive, up to 34cm long (1'1″) and with a circumference of over 1m (3′3), making them the largest known eggs laid by any vertebrate.

Recent studies of the shape of its brain within its skull show that it had a good sense of smell but very poor eyesight -- possibly being near-blind -- suggesting that much like its kiwi relatives it was highly specialized for a nocturnal lifestyle.

There were several other species of elephant bird throughout Madagascar, and at least some of them appear to have successfully survived alongside humans for quite some time. Carbon dating of eggshells suggests they were still alive around 1000 years ago, and based on historical mentions they may have persisted as late as the 1600s before finally disappearing.

[herpsandbirds]

If you were in danger, what bird would you trust to save you / guard you from the enemy?

Oh thats an easy one!!

Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus), family Aepyornis, order Aepyornithiformes, Found in Madagascar

EXTINCT (Sometime around 1000 AD)

These huge birds reached a height of up to 3 (9.8 ft), and a weight of up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).

illustration by George de Lodge

[quaggasculpture]

Arpyornis maximus in process. #aepyornis #aepyornismaximus #aepyornithidae #elephantbird #giantbird #reconstruction #animalscupture #animalart (at San Martín Sarroca, Cataluna, Spain)