Thursday, September 16, 2010
Fossil of Giant Bony-Toothed Bird from Chile Sets Wingspan Record
A newly discovered skeleton of an ancient seabird from northern Chile provides evidence that giant birds were soaring the skies there 5-10 million years ago. The wing bones of the animal exceed those of all other birds in length; its wingspan would have been at least 5.2 m (17 ft.). This is the largest safely established wingspan for a bird. Other, larger estimates for fossil birds have been based on much less secure evidence.
The new bird belongs to a group known as pelagornithids, informally referred to as bony-toothed birds. They are characterized by their long, slender beaks that bear many spiny, tooth-like projections. Such ‘teeth’ likely would have been used to capture slippery prey in the open ocean, such as fish and squid.
Posted by Craig Jones on 09/16/10 at 11:17 AM
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