? Aepyornis Aepyornis is an extinct member of the Ratitae. Conservation status: Extinct (16th century) (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Aepyornithiformes Family: Aepyornithidae Genus: Aepyornis
Species
Aepyornis hildebrandti Aepyornis medius Aepyornis maximus Aepyornis skeleton. ... Jump to: navigation, search Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Jump to: navigation, search Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Jump to: navigation, search Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Jump to: navigation, search In biology, the most commonly used definition of species was first coined by Ernst Mayr. ...

Aepyornis is an extinct genus of flightless bird. These large birds, which were native to Madagascar, have been extinct since at least the 16th century. Aepyornis was the world's largest bird, believed to have been over three metres (10 feet) tall and weighing more than half a tonne (500 kilograms, or 1,100 pounds). Remains of Aepyornis adults and eggs have been found; in some cases the eggs have a circumference of over one metre (three feet). Three species have been described; A. hildebrandti, A. medius, and A. maximus, but the validity of some is disputed, with some authors treating them all in just one species. Aepyornis was a ratite, related to the ostrich; it could not fly, and its breast bone had no keel. Jump to: navigation, search In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxons. ... Jump to: navigation, search Orders Many - see section below. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Families Struthionidae Casuariidae Dinornithidae Apterygidae Rheidae A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanian origin, most of them now extinct. ... Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the a flightless bird native to Africa. ... A keel in bird anatomy is an extension of the sternum which runs axially along the midline of the sternum and extends outward, perpendicular to the plane of the ribs. ...

The National Geographic Society in Washington holds a specimen of an Aepyornis egg which was discovered by Luis Marden in 1967. The specimen is intact and contains an embryonic skeleton of the unborn bird. Jump to: navigation, search Flag of the National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society was founded in the United States on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Jump to: navigation, search 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Whilst it is often believed that the extinction of the Aepyornis was an effect of human actions, a study in 2000, by a team of archaeologists from Sheffield University and Royal Holloway University in the UK, suggests otherwise. Their study in Madagascar aimed to investigate human relationships with this bird. Research reports from Sheffield University stated that there was no evidence for the suggestion that the bird had been hunted to extinction. The archaeologists also believe that the killing of the bird may have been taboo as no evidence was found that it had been killed for food. Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the year 2000. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... University of Sheffield Rerum Cognoscere Causas (To discover the causes of things) Shield image © University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield is a university located in Sheffield, England. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) is one of the seven larger colleges of the University of London. ...

The modern Malagasy name for the bird is Vorompatra, meaning "marsh bird". They are commonly known as the 'elephant bird', a term that originated from Marco Polo. It has also been suggested that the legend of the roc may have originated from this bird. Jump to: navigation, search Marco Polo (September 15, 1254, Venice, Italy; or Curzola, Venetian Dalmatia - now Korčula, Croatia — January 8, 1324, Venice) was a Venetian trader and explorer who, together with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road... Jump to: navigation, search A roc destroys Sindbads ship A roc or rukh (from Persian رخ rokh) is a mythical white bird of enormous size and strength that is reputed to have been able to lift and eat elephants. ...

H.G. Wells wrote a short story entitled Aepyornis Island about the bird. It was published in The Complete Short Stories of H.G. Wells (ISBN 0753808722). Full text. H. G. Wells at the door of his house at Sandgate Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 - August 13, 1946) was an English writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. ...

References

• http://digimorph.org/specimens/Aepyornis_maximus/
• http://www.geocities.com/vorompatra/index.html