Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Elephant Birds

Aepyornithidae

Elephant birds were giant ratites endemic to Madagascar. It is believed they went extinct some time before the 17th century. Aepyornis was one of the world's largest bird, believed to have been over 3 metres (10 ft) tall and weighing close to half a ton (400 kilograms (880 lb)). Eggs of Aeopyornis have been found that measure more than 1 m (3 ft) in circumference and up to 34 cm (13 inches) long. The volume is equivalent to about 160 chicken eggs.

4 species of Aepyornis are usually recognised - A. hildebrandti, A. gracilis, A. medius and A. maximus. Not all scientists agree with the placing of in so many species in the genus Aeopyornis, a number believe that the known fossils all belong to the same species, A. maximus.

Up to 3 species have been assigned to Mullerornis - N. betsilei, M. ggilis, M. rudis

Like flightless birds elsewhere, Aepornis and Mullerornis had no crest on the breast bone.

As there are no fossils from rainforest-covered areas of Madagascar it is unknown if some of the Aeypornis species had adapted to rainforest conditions. There are several tree species that produce dark purplish fruit, such as Ravenea louvelii and Satranala decussilvae and the forest coconut palm (Voanioala gerardii) that is now not dispersed and very rare, that have fruit that is thought could have adapted to pass through the gut of ratites and required them for dispersal. In Australia cassowaries in the North Queensland rainforest eat large purple fruit of species like the blue quandong tree, dispersing their seeds in their droppings.

Sources & Further reading