A recent find of an ancient giant bird’s skull has revealed much about its life among the vanished lakes and wetlands of inland South Australia.
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Articles on Giant birds
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The findings have repercussions today: it is clear that slow-growing animals will be the most vulnerable to extinction amid shifting climates.
Genyornis newtoni was one of the biggest birds ever to walk the earth. And new research shows its mysterious extinction may have come amid a bout of widespread bone disease as its lake home dried out.
The newly discovered Heracles inexpectatus stood nearly a metre tall. And its fossil bones sat undiscovered on a museum shelf for more than a decade before its hefty status was finally appreciated.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor, Vertebrate Palaeontology Group, Flinders University
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Researcher in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Professor, Biological Sciences Department, University of Cape Town
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PhD Candidate and Casual Academic, Vertebrate Palaeontology Research Group, Flinders University
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Adjunct professor, University of Canterbury
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Associate Professor in Earth Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong
