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Aepyornis
genus of birds (fossil) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aepyornis is an Elephant bird, one of three genera of ratite birds endemic to Madagascar until their extinction about 1000 A.D. The species "A". maximus weighed up to 540 kilograms (1,200 lb), and until recently was regarded as the largest known bird of all time. However, in 2018 the largest Aepyornis specis, weighing up to 730 kilograms (1,600 lb), was moved to the related genus Vorombe.[2]
Quick Facts Aeyornis Temporal range: Quaternary, Conservation status ...
Aeyornis Temporal range: Quaternary | |
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Aepyornis maximus skeleton and egg | |
Scientific classification | |
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Order: | Aepyornithiformes A. Newton, 1884[1] |
Family: | †Aepyornithidae (Bonaparte, 1853)[1] |
Genus: | †Aepyornis I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1851[1] |
Species | |
Aepyornis hildebrandti | |
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Map of Madagascar showing where A. hildebrandti (b) and A. maximus (c) specimens have been found |
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