According to the publication, scientists have compared the oldest discovered fossils of dromornis aged 24 million years with earlier samples (age 12 million years and 7 million years). Using neutron computed tomography, specialists were able to model the skull of an extinct bird and calculate the volume of its brain. “The shape of the skull suggests that they probably had well-developed stereoscopic vision and depth perception. They had large, frontal-oriented eyes and an unusually massive beak,” – quotes the publication of the study’s author, paleontologist Warren Handley.
According to scientists, the flightless bird dromornis could reach three meters in height and weigh about 600 kg. She ate fruits and soft plant leaves. “These wonderful birds [lived] in forests along river channels and lakes throughout Australia for an extremely long time. However, only now we have mastered imaging techniques that allow us to study features of their morphology, previously completely unknown to science,” – said the paleontologist.
The researchers found that the brain of the Dromornis was very different from that of modern birds. According to paleontology professor Trevor Worthy, they relied on good eyesight, but were hardly very smart creatures. “The Dromornis Styrtoni was a kind of extreme evolutionary experiment. It had a massive beak and a large, but very unusual skull. small space “, – the scientist explained.
Australian researchers note that the size of dromornis during the existence of the species either decreased or increased, depending on climate change and the abundance of the food supply, and outwardly, giant birds most of all resembled modern chickens. “We have not yet been able to find relatives of the dromornis [among modern birds], and much of their biology remains a mystery,” concluded Worthy.
Dromornis are a genus of extinct birds of the order Anseriformes that lived in Australia in the Miocene era. The bird of this species had a long neck and strongly reduced short wings, which did not allow flying. Dromornis were not very fast, but had powerful legs and a large beak, which helped to cut the stems of plants and make their way through the thickets. It is believed that the species became completely extinct about 50-40 thousand years ago.
