Unique remains of what could be the world's largest bird found in Australia

[Still Waters]

A pair of legs belonging to what could be the largest bird species that ever stalked our planet have been unearthed from an outback fossil site in central Australia. Excitingly, more remains could still be laying nearby, waiting to be dug free.

Described by one paleontologist as an "extreme evolutionary experiment", Stirton's thunderbird (Dromornis stirtoni) is a patchwork of weird anatomical traits. Its oversized beak juts from an undersized skull, all perched on a body that towers 3 meters (10 feet) and weighs up to half a ton.

Just to make the animal sound even more absurd, these 8-million-year-old lumbering giants are actually related to modern day fowl, like chickens and ducks.

https://www.sciencealert.com/unique-remains-of-what-could-be-the-worlds-largest-bird-found-in-australia

[Myles]

looks like ostrich's are taller but this bird was much heavier.

[NCC1701]

Probably got stuck in the mud and therefore only the feet are preserved.

[+OverSword]

7 hours ago, Myles said:

looks like ostrich's are taller but this bird was much heavier.

It’s nine feet tall 

[pallidin]

Wow.

[pallidin]

I guess my mother was into paleontology. Not professionally. She was always amazed by new findings though.

She fully understood that properly excavating an ancient skeleton is very slow and time-consuming. 

[jethrofloyd]

A big chicken!

[SD455GTO]

Wasn't the Giant Moa of New Zealand around that size?

[Abramelin]

On 10/7/2022 at 11:38 AM, SD455GTO said:

Wasn't the Giant Moa of New Zealand around that size?

It was even larger, but also lighter:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa

[SD455GTO]

Okay cool a much heavier bird.