Around 50,000 years ago, Australia was a land of giants, home to creatures like a wombat relative the size of a rhinoceros and a kangaroo that was far heavier than any seen today. Among these giants was a flightless bird as tall as 6.5 feet and weighing 500 pounds, dubbed the “giga-goose.” Recent discoveries have shed light on this massive bird’s origins, a topic of speculation for over a century.
Would you rather fight 100 giga-geese sized horses, or one horse-sized giga-goose?pic.twitter.com/ysjJQjwef5
— aHEMagain Actual (@aHEMandias) June 4, 2024
In 1893, paleontologists riding camels unearthed a nearly intact skeleton of this bird at Lake Callabonna in South Australia. Although the skeleton was well-preserved, the bird’s skull was not—it was found in a crumbled, distorted state. Phoebe McInerney, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Flinders University in Australia, explained that the skull’s poor condition left many questions unanswered about the bird’s classification. Initially, scientists speculated that it might be a larger version of the emu or some type of land fowl akin to a chicken.
The shape and size of a bird often change predictably when it becomes large and flightless, according to McInerney. Features like stumpy wings, a broad rump, and bulky legs are common, but these characteristics don’t help much with deeper taxonomic identification. “The skull is what will retain those more complex family indicators,” McInerney noted.
45,000-year-old Aussie 'giga-goose' detailed in new study by @Phoebyornis @Blokoweka🦴
Its giant skull fossil reveals it:
⚖Weighed 230kg
🌱Ate soft plants & fruits
🦜Had jaws similar to parrots but shaped like geesehttps://t.co/bs8GkRJTbA@FlindersUniNews @FlindersPalaeo pic.twitter.com/ElBDvOhfQd— Taylor&Francis News (@tandfnewsroom) June 3, 2024
After decades of searching, McInerney and her team at Flinders University made a breakthrough. They discovered a complete skull of the Genyornis newtoni, as well as several well-preserved partial skulls, at Lake Callabonna between 2013 and 2019. The research, published in Historical Biology, unveiled a skull that was significantly different from those of any other living or extinct birds, resembling that of a duck or goose.
These findings suggest that the Genyornis belonged to the Anseriformes order, which includes waterfowl like ducks, swans, and South American screamers. Nic Rawlence, a paleoecologist at New Zealand’s University of Otago who was not involved in the research, remarked on the uniqueness of these birds, likening them to other distinctive Australian species such as koalas and kangaroos.
The skull analysis indicated that Genyornis had a wide gape and strong bite, with muscle attachments that suggested fine motor control. This anatomy likely helped the bird tear leaves and fruit from waterside plants, supporting the theory that it lived in aquatic habitats. Structures in the skull also suggested adaptations to prevent water from entering the ears.
Aboriginal Australians were likely familiar with Genyornis. The bird appears in rock art and is mentioned in stories, with references to a “giant emu” in at least one Aboriginal language. Some scientists believe that humans may have consumed the eggs of Genyornis, as suggested by fragments of large burned eggshells, though this theory remains controversial.
The disappearance of Australia’s megafauna, including the giga-goose, is still a topic of debate among scientists. Theories suggest that a combination of climate change and human activity could have driven these giants to extinction. Today, the dry, salty environment of Lake Callabonna, once a lush habitat for the giga-goose, stands as a stark reminder of these profound ecological changes.
Major Points
- In 1893, paleontologists discovered the nearly complete skeleton of a giant flightless bird, dubbed the “giga-goose,” in South Australia, sparking over a century of speculation about its classification.
- Recent research led by Phoebe McInerney at Flinders University has successfully reconstructed the skull, revealing it to be similar to those of ducks or geese, placing the bird in the Anseriformes order.
- The unique skull features of the Genyornis newtoni suggest it had adaptations for eating plants near water bodies and mechanisms to prevent water from entering its ears, indicating an aquatic habitat.
- Aboriginal Australians likely knew the Genyornis, with references found in rock art and language, and some evidence suggests they may have consumed its eggs.
- The extinction of the Genyornis and other Australian megafauna remains debated, with potential causes including climate change and human activities.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
