Thunderbirds

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Thunderbirds
Stirton's thunderbird (Dromornis stirtoni) in a living reconstruction

Stirton's thunderbird ( Dromornis stirtoni ) in a living reconstruction

Temporal occurrence
Oligocene to Pleistocene
20 million years to 11,000 years
Locations
Systematics
Land vertebrates (Tetrapoda)
Birds (aves)
New-jawed birds (Neognathae)
Galloanserae
Goose birds (Anseriformes)
Thunderbirds
Scientific name
Dromornithidae
Vigors , 1825

The thunderbirds (Dromornithidae) were large, flightless birds from Australia and Tasmania . They are also known under the name Riesenemus or in Australia as Mihirungs and belong to the goose birds (Anseriformes). The oldest finds are around 20 million years old.

Dromornis australis and the Stirton thunderbird ( Dromornis stirtoni ) weighed over half a ton and were 3 meters high. Genyornis newtoni still lived in the Pleistocene and was known to the Aborigines . Bones found in human settlements indicate he was hunted. It died out about 11,000 years ago.

Their extinction is due to climate changes, bush fires and possibly hunting.

Systematics

External system

Bullockornis planei , replica in Kings Park, Perth (Australia)

The systematic position of the thunderbirds was interpreted differently as shown in the following cladograms .

after Murray, 2003
   

 †  Gastornis


  Goose birds  


 Defense birds  (Anhimidae)


   

 †  Thunderbirds  (Dromornithidae)



   

 Cleft foot geese  (Anseranatidae)


   

 †  Presbytery


   

 Duck birds  (Anatidae)






Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style
after Agnolin, 2007
   

 †  Gastornithidae ( Gastornis etc.)


  Goose birds  

 † Brontornithidae ( Brontornis etc.)


   

 †  Thunderbirds  (Dromornithidae)


  Anseres  

 Duck birds iw S. (Anatoidea)


   

 Cleft foot geese (Anseranatidae)


   

 Defense birds (Anhimidae)







Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

species

Five genera with eight species are known:

literature

  • Alan Feduccia : The Origin and Evolution of the Birds. 2nd ed., Yale University Press, New Haven / London 1999, ISBN 0-300-07861-7 .
  • Peter F. Murray: Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime. Indiana University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-253-34282-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Peter F. Murray (2003): p. 169.
  2. ↑ Federico L. Agnolin: Brontornis burmeisteri Moreno & Mercerat, un Anseriformes (Aves) gigante del Mioceno Medio de Patagonia, Argentina. Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Nueva Series 9, 2007, pp. 15-25.
  3. ↑ Trevor H. Worthy, Warren D. Handley, Michael Archer and Suzanne J. Hand. 2016. The Extinct Flightless Mihirungs (Aves, Dromornithidae): Cranial Anatomy, A New Species, and Assessment of Oligo-Miocene Lineage Diversity. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080 / 02724634.2015.1031345

Web links

Commons : Dromornithidae  - Collection of images, videos and audio files