Elephant birds are an extinct family of flightless birds made up of the genera Aepyornis and Mullerornis. 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. (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 or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... 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 the vertebrates, together with... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... 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. ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxa. ... Aves redirects here. ... (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. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is 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. 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... 1967 (MCMLXVII) 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. 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. ... 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. 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 to China (which he... 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. ...

Elephant Bird Species

• Aepyornis gracilis Monnier, 1913
• Aepyornis hildebrandti Burckhardt, 1893
• Aepyornis maximus Geoffroy-Saint Hilaire, 1851
• Aepyornis medius Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1866
• Aepyornis titan (might be a synonym of Aepyornis maximus)

• Mullerornis betsilei Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894
• Mullerornis agilis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894
• Mullerornis rudis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894

References

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