New Skull Discovery Sheds Light on Australia's Giant Prehistoric Bird

New Skull Discovery Sheds Light on Australia's Giant Prehistoric Bird
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 04, 2024

After 128 years of exploration, Flinders University researchers have uncovered the skull of Australia's giant megafauna bird - Genyornis newtoni.

Previously, the only known skull for this species, reported in 1913, was heavily damaged, providing limited information. New fossils from Lake Callabonna, South Australia, led by Phoebe McInerney and colleagues, now reveal more about this species.

The fossils, discovered during field trips in 2019, included near complete body fossils, confirming the skull's attribution to Genyornis newtoni, a species extinct for around 45,000 years.

The skull's description, published in Historical Biology, helps researchers explore the bird's ecology, morphology, and evolutionary relationships. Genyornis newtoni, weighing around 230 kg, had a massive braincase, large jaws, and an unusual casque. Its upper beak morphology set it apart from its closest relatives.

"Genyornis newtoni had a tall and mobile upper jaw like that of a parrot but shaped like a goose, a wide gape, strong bite force, and the ability to crush soft plants and fruit on the roof of their mouth," says Phoebe McInerney.

The skull showed similarities to early diverging waterfowl lineages, including South American Screamers and the Australian Magpie Goose. McInerney notes, "The exact relationships of Genyornis within this group have been complicated to unravel, however, with this new skull we have started to piece together the puzzle which shows, simply put, this species to be a giant goose."

"We were particularly excited to discover the first fossil upper bill of Genyornis, for the first time we could put a face on this bird, one very different to any other bird, yet like a goose," says coauthor Dr. Trevor Worthy.

Jacob Blokland, a coauthor, adds, "Using modern birds as comparatives, we are able to put flesh back on the fossils and bring them back to life."

The study also found adaptations for aquatic habitats, supporting the idea that Genyornis was a giant prehistoric goose. These adaptations may be linked to its extinction as freshwater bodies in northern South Australia turned into salt lakes.

Research Report:Skull morphology of the enigmatic Genyornis newtoni Stirling and Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology, and evolution in the context of Galloanserae