45,000-year-old fossil skull of extinct giant "giga-goose" bird, Genyornis newtoni, discovered in South Australia provides new insights into its appearance and evolution.

45,000-year-old fossil skull of extinct giant "giga-goose" bird, Genyornis newtoni, discovered in South Australia provides new insights into its appearance and evolution. The bird, which stood up to 2.25 meters tall and weighed up to 230 kilograms, had a large braincase, large upper and lower jaws, and a unique casque structure above its small nostrils, possibly a feature for sexual display. The new evidence suggests that Dromornithidae, the avian family that G. newtoni belongs to, should be reclassified as a type of waterfowl.

June 03, 2024
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