Elephant birds are an extinct species that lived in Madagascar. They weighed over 1000 pounds and laid eggs that were a foot and a half long (McNamee, 2023). The fossil record shows they could fly when they first arrived in Madagascar. However, perhaps due to the lack of predators on that island, they evolved into flightless birds.
There are few intact skeletons, but plenty of fossilized shell fragments are on the beaches. “The eggshells look like pottery. They’re so strong – they’re not at all fragile. The shells have preserved the bird’s DNA, as well as ‘stable isotopes,’ atomic signatures that the researchers used to study the birds’ diets” (McNamee, 2023).
It is unclear why they went extinct; however, it appears to have followed the first humans arriving on the island as well as possible environmental factors.
The illustration shows the height and mass differences between the elephant bird, an ancient man, and an ostrich.
Reflection question:
One thousand pounds is around the same weight as six American adults together. Can you imagine a bird that big and heavy?
Reference:
McNamee, K. (2023, March 9). Giant eggshells reveal the secrets of Madagascar’s elephant birds. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1162024728/giant-eggshells-madagascar-elephant-birds-science-research