Australian paleontologists Genyornis neutoni A species of giant flightless Mihirn that became extinct approximately 45,000 years ago.
This illustration is, Genyornis neutoni Waterside in a wetland or marsh-like environment. The scene itself was inspired by places that exist in southern South Australia today, such as the Coorong and the Narrindjeri region of the Lower Murray River. Genyornis neutoni If this type of environment were widespread across the country, many Genyornis The fossils were found in Lake Carabonna, more than a day’s drive north, which is now a dry salt lake. It was probably much wetter in the past. Image by Jacob C. Blokland.
Genyornis neutoni Belongs to Dromornithidae The Mihirung is a species of flightless bird from Australia that became extinct during the Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs.
Also known as Newton’s Mihirn, this species lived in Australia between 48,000 and 45,000 years ago.
The bird was over two metres tall, weighed 220-240 kilograms, had tiny wings and huge hind legs, and laid a melon-sized egg weighing around 1.5 kilograms.
The only previous known skull of this species was reported in 1913, and it was so badly damaged that very little of the original bone remained, meaning not much could be inferred about the skull.
The well-preserved new specimen was discovered in the dry, salty lake bed of Lake Carabonna, in a remote area of inland South Australia.
As would be expected from such a large bird, its skull was far from ordinary, with an enormous cranium, large upper and lower jaws, and an unusual skull crown.
The upper beak in particular displays a remarkable morphology that distinguishes this bird even from its closest relatives, which are otherwise quite similar.
“Genyornis neutoni “It had a high, mobile upper jaw like a parrot, but was shaped more like a goose, with a wide mouth opening, powerful biting force and the roof of its mouth capable of crushing soft plants and fruit,” says American zoologist Dr Phoebe McInerney. Flinders University.
“Skull features also showed undeniable and complex affinities with early-diverging waterfowl lineages, the South American screamer and, more recently, the Australian magpie goose.”
” Genyornis “The mysteries within this group have been difficult to unravel, but with this new skull we begin to piece together the puzzle that shows this species is a giant goose.”
“we, Genyornis“For the first time we’ve been able to work out the face of this bird – it’s quite different to other birds but does resemble a goose,” said Dr Trevor Worthy, also from Flinders University.
skull Genyornis neutoniImage courtesy of McInerney others., doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212.
By assessing the morphology of the skull, the researchers were able to evaluate the muscles and movements of each joint, building a detailed picture of how the head functioned.
“Bone shape and bone structure are in part related to the soft tissues that interact with them, such as muscles and ligaments and their attachment sites and pathways,” said Flinders University researcher Jacob Blokland.
“By using modern birds as a comparison, we can put flesh on fossils and bring them back to life.”
Moreover, paleontologists Genyornis neutoni It has several unusual adaptations to adapt to its aquatic habitat, allowing it to protect its ears and throat from the influx of water when its head is submerged underwater.
These adaptations provide further support that the species was nothing more than a giant prehistoric goose, and may be linked to its extinction as the freshwater bodies of northern South Australia are now mainly salt lakes.
“Thanks to this skull, we Genyornis neutoni “We now have a much better understanding of these birds, which once roamed widely across the Australian outback, and the reasons for their eventual extinction,” the researchers concluded.
their paper Published in the journal Historical Biology.
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Phoebe L. McInerney othersMysterious skull shape Genyornis neutoni Stirling & Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology and evolution in the Gallopodidae. Historical BiologyPublished online June 3, 2024; doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212
Source: www.sci.news
