A team of American and Chinese scientists has found fossils in Antarctica that are believed to belong to the oldest giant bird called ‘Pelagornithidae’ that were known to have 21-feet-long wingspans. Here is what we know about this latest discovery. By Amitha Ameen
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Scientists have discovered a fossil in Antarctica that dates back to about 50 million years ago that is believed to belong to a group of albatross-like birds that may have been the largest known flying birds to exist.
Called a ‘Pelagornithidae’ these gigantic birds are said to have evolved after dinosaurs went completely extinct. The bird’s skull alone is believed to have been around two feet long. According to reports, the last known bird of this species is believed to have been alive around 2.5 million years ago — around the same time when the Earth’s climate was changing at it cooled to begin the Ice Ages.
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“This updated fossil record of pelagornithids on Seymour Island reinforces the ideas that along with penguins and paleognaths, pelagornithid was a common and even a dominant avian clade throughout the Eocene of Antarctica, and potentially competed with other soaring birds for foraging and nesting spaces,” read the official report on Nature.
A Pelagornithidae is generally considered to be bony-toothed owing to the bone projections it had on the jaws. Unlike human teeth, the bird’s teeth are covered by keratin, a material similar to human fingernails. The bony protruding teeth help giant birds to successfully hunt for fish and squid from the ocean as they fly over the sea for weeks at a time.
Related: #SomeGoodNews: 11 Colonies Of Waddling Emperor Penguins Have Been Discovered In Antarctica
