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Gigantic Mesozoic bird found!

  • 10-08-2011 12:34am
    #1
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Ok, there's only a toothless jaw, but it has been identified as belonging to a HUGE bird. Paleontologists say that it could have been a flying bird, in which case it may have had a wingspan of around four meters- if it was flightless, though, it may have been three meters tall. A giant one way or the other.

    This, they say, proves that birds during the Mesozoic weren´t all diminutive and that they were much more diverse than we thought. The creature is called Samrukia, and it lived during the Late Cretaceous (83 million years ago) in Central Asia, along with ankylosaurs, tyrannosaurs and other saurs.

    samrukiazoom.jpg
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Galvasean
    Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    Hmm, looks like Thomas Huxley was right all along..


  • #3
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    First drawing ever of the bird! (Not counting the silouettes above XD)

    samrukia__the_giant_phoenix_by_hodarinundu-d461122.jpg


  • #4
    Galvasean
    Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    Quick off the mark eh? Nice.

    Since it's based on such scarce remains I wonder if it is actually a bird as we know it. I'm sure if you travelled back to the Cretaceous you would see many dino-bird things which could be either or.


  • #5
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    Galvasean wrote: »
    Quick off the mark eh? Nice.

    Since it's based on such scarce remains I wonder if it is actually a bird as we know it. I'm sure if you travelled back to the Cretaceous you would see many dino-bird things which could be either or.

    Yes, I agree. But the concept of a giant bird flying around is way to awesome to waste :D


  • #6
    Rubecula
    Registered Users Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭Rubecula


    Can you get it Southern Fried?:D

    (Thinking of my food again, sorry)

    Impressive sketch by the way, very impressive indeed.


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  • #7
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    Rubecula wrote: »
    Can you get it Southern Fried?:D

    (Thinking of my food again, sorry)

    Impressive sketch by the way, very impressive indeed.

    Thanks :>


  • #8
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    Bad news folks... seems that Samrukia has been reinterpreted as a pterosaur, instead of a giant bird.

    Oh well... it doesn´t rule out the possibility of such creatures existing anyways :cool:


  • #9
    Galvasean
    Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    Shame. A large pterosaur is somewhat less exciting by comparison..


  • #10
    Adam Khor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Adam Khor


    Galvasean wrote: »
    Shame. A large pterosaur is somewhat less exciting by comparison..

    Yes, not that pterosaurs are any less fascinating, but... we already had many large pteros and very few giant birds...


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