Magnificent Mihirungs

The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime

AvPeter F. Murray,Patricia Vickers-Rich

Inbunden, Engelska, 2004

Del i serien Life of the Past

542 kr

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Beskrivning

Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds—among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived—the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. They were, by orders of magnitude, the largest "geese" that ever lived. One species was comparable in size to the Ele-phantbird of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand. This book is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2004-03-04
Mått:187 x 260 x 29 mm
Vikt:1 067 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Life of the Past
Antal sidor:416
Förlag:Indiana University Press
ISBN:9780253342829

Utforska kategorier

Paleontologi inom Naturvetenskap och teknik

Mer om författaren

Peter F. Murray is a researcher at the Museum of Central Australia in Alice Springs.Patricia Vickers-Rich holds a Chair in Palaeontology at Monash University, where she lectures in the Earth Sciences Department. She is co-author (with Thomas H. Rich) of Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent (IUP, 2000) and Dinosaurs of Darkness (IUP, 2000).

Innehållsförteckning

Preliminary Table of Contents: AcknowledgmentsIntroductioinI. Discovery1. The Discovery of the DromornithidsII. Systematics and Morphology2. Mihirungs: Extinct, Gigantic Australian Geese3. Classification4. Overview of Dromornithid Species, Localities, and Associated Fauna5. Description of Dromornithid Structure6. Relationships and Phylogeny7. Dromornithids and the Origin of Anseriform Birds8. Relationships within the DromornithidaeIII. Paleobiology9. Appearance, Posture, and Stature10. Body Mass Estimations11. Could Dromornithids Run?12. The Feeding Apparatus13. The Economy of ScaleIV. Paleoecology14. Evidence from Local Faunas15. Habitat and Diet16. EvolutionConclusionAppendix: Basic Avian Skeletal MorphologyGlossaryReferencesIndex