Radiocarbon date for the largest extinct bird

Abstract

IN December 1973 two fragments of an eggshell of the extinct giant elephant bird, Aepyornis sp., were obtained from a site 50 km west south-west of Fort Dauphin (21°1′S, 47°E), southern Madagascar. The bird, similar in appearance to, but not directly related to, the ostrich (Strathio camelus) was the largest ever to exist; the largest species had a height of 3 m, and laid eggs up to 35 cm long1. The site from which the small fragments were obtained is located in coastal sand dunes some 100 m from the shoreline. The immediate region is underlain with granitic rocks capped by igneous detritus. The climate is semi-arid with a mean annual rainfall of 500-600 mm. The vegetation consists of bush interspersed with many endemic succulents including the very tall, stalk-like plants of the Didiraeceae family2. © 1975 Nature Publishing Group.