Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime

Forside
Indiana University Press, 4. mars 2004 - 410 sider

Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds—among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived—the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. They were, by orders of magnitude, the largest "geese" that ever lived. One species was comparable in size to the Ele-phantbird of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand. This book is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.

 

Innhold

Introduction
1
Dromornithids and the Origin
7
The Economy of Scale
13
Classification
34
Description of Dromornithid Structure
57
Dromornithids and the Origin of Anseriform Birds
163
Appearance Posture and Stature
183
Could Dromornithids Run?
213
Evidence from Local Faunas
281
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