UM-Bot Posted September 1, 2013 #1 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Once thought to have been a vicious predator, the 7ft terror bird was actually a harmless plant-eater. With an appearance not dissimilar to a large ostrich, the species known as Gastornis sported a large sharp beak and would have lived in what is now Europe approximately 55 to 40 million years ago. Palaeontologists examining fossil remains of the creature originally concluded that its beak and large size would have made it a formidable predator in a world dominated by small mammals. Read More: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/253876/prehistoric-terror-bird-was-a-vegetarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A rather obscure Bassoon Posted September 1, 2013 #2 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Vegetarian or not,I still wouldn't want to meet up with one in the Bush. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancient astronaut Posted September 1, 2013 #3 Share Posted September 1, 2013 It amazes me how they discover all of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecowboy342 Posted September 1, 2013 #4 Share Posted September 1, 2013 If they weren't predators, I wonder what the apex predator of the time and place was. Something must have ate them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brlesq1 Posted September 1, 2013 #5 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Formidable looking thing, isn't he? I wonder if the beak could have been used for defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troublehalf Posted September 1, 2013 #6 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Well, birds such as the Elephant Bird and Moa Bird, were both vegetarian IIRC. They are so big because, if you're bigger than your predator, you're unlikely to be eaten, or it's at least harder. Elephant Bird didn't have any predators. Moa had Haast's Eagle to deal with. Shame they died out, would love to see Haast's. Maybe that's what all the Thunder Bird sightings actually are.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecowboy342 Posted September 1, 2013 #7 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Well, birds such as the Elephant Bird and Moa Bird, were both vegetarian IIRC. They are so big because, if you're bigger than your predator, you're unlikely to be eaten, or it's at least harder. Elephant Bird didn't have any predators. Moa had Haast's Eagle to deal with. Shame they died out, would love to see Haast's. Maybe that's what all the Thunder Bird sightings actually are.... Yeah I was just reading about the Cenozoic and that was when large mammalian predators began to emerge. It seems there were 5 subfamiles, 14 genera, and 18 species of these birds. I wonder if at least some could have been predators or at least scavenging omnivores like modern chickens 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Surfer Posted September 2, 2013 #8 Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) Good call Troublehalf Moas were around only hundreds of years ago in NZ and reached 12ft! And the Haast eagle! Man biggest eagle EvEr!! 38FT wingspan... damn.. imagine that bearing down on you! We all know it wasnt the Haast that killed the Moa out.. more like Humans.. i.e the Maori people.. the Haast died once its main food source was killed off. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa http://en.wikipedia....ast's_Eagle Anyway back onto the subject of this other creature.. Edited September 2, 2013 by Silver Surfer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeptic Chicken Posted September 3, 2013 #9 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Well, if that wasn't one of the most terrifying article photos I've seen on the front page, I don't know what is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cacoseraph Posted September 3, 2013 #10 Share Posted September 3, 2013 For purely emotional reasons I shall retain judgement until further evidence supporting the carnivore camp comes forth =P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Gummybuns Posted September 12, 2013 #11 Share Posted September 12, 2013 We are still trying to finalize the facts on these prehistoric animals, which shows that science s always evolving.... Or, y'know, they study the bone structure and logical sciencey stuff comes along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinite Playlist Posted September 13, 2013 #12 Share Posted September 13, 2013 And thus my old childhood favorite, Prehistoric Planet, is once again considered invalid. All things considered, it is an interesting find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundew Posted September 14, 2013 #13 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Vegetarian, maybe - harmless, not necessarily. The Cassowary is also largely vegetarian and it can disembowel you with one kick. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundew Posted September 14, 2013 #14 Share Posted September 14, 2013 If they weren't predators, I wonder what the apex predator of the time and place was. Something must have ate them Something may have preyed on their eggs and young, but full grown they may have had no natural enemies. The elephant would be a similar modern example. Except for a few lion prides that have have specialized in killing elephants, a full grown elephant, especially a big male, has no natural enemies other than human hunters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lava_Lady Posted September 28, 2013 #15 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) It looks like the bird in "The Giant Claw".... great movie, if you like them crappy. Edited September 28, 2013 by Lava_Lady 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asadora Posted September 29, 2013 #16 Share Posted September 29, 2013 It looks like the bird in "The Giant Claw".... great movie, if you like them crappy. That reminds me of the bird like creatures from Dark Crystal: Awesome movie by the way 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted September 29, 2013 #17 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lava_Lady Posted September 29, 2013 #18 Share Posted September 29, 2013 That reminds me of the bird like creatures from Dark Crystal: Awesome movie by the way I haven't thought of that movie in decades! Wow, thanks for the reminder, I'll have to look it up again. And those birds look a lot better than the one in Giant Claw, lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asadora Posted September 29, 2013 #19 Share Posted September 29, 2013 I haven't thought of that movie in decades! Wow, thanks for the reminder, I'll have to look it up again. And those birds look a lot better than the one in Giant Claw, lol You're welcome for the reminder:) If I remember correctly the bird creature on the left in the picture is the head honcho and the one on the right is the one that always made that creepy 'mmmmmmmmmmm' sound. haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted September 29, 2013 #20 Share Posted September 29, 2013 And they are sooo well groomed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lava_Lady Posted September 29, 2013 #21 Share Posted September 29, 2013 You're welcome for the reminder:) If I remember correctly the bird creature on the left in the picture is the head honcho and the one on the right is the one that always made that creepy 'mmmmmmmmmmm' sound. haha. Haha! It was so long ago I don't remember that but I recall the way they moved gave me the creeps. Something about the puppetry. lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lava_Lady Posted September 29, 2013 #22 Share Posted September 29, 2013 And they are sooo well groomed! I guess "busy" was the fashion back in the Dark Crystal! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted September 29, 2013 #23 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Pretentious and stuffy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simbi Laveau Posted September 29, 2013 #24 Share Posted September 29, 2013 It looks like the dodo bird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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