CiNii Books - Magnificent mihirungs : the colossal flightless birds of the Australian dreamtime

Author(s)

- Murray, Peter (Peter F.)
- Rich, Pat Vickers

Bibliographic Information

Magnificent mihirungs : the colossal flightless birds of the Australian dreamtime

Peter F. Murray and Patricia Vickers-Rich

（Life of the past）

Indiana University Press, c2004

: cloth

Available at / 1 libraries

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Library

: clothK/457/6851520000685152

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 383-393) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds-among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived-the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. They were, by orders of magnitude, the largest "geese" that ever lived. One species was comparable in size to the Ele-phantbird of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand. This book is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Table of Contents: Acknowledgments Introductioin I. Discovery 1. The Discovery of the Dromornithids II. Systematics and Morphology 2. Mihirungs: Extinct, Gigantic Australian Geese 3. Classification 4. Overview of Dromornithid Species, Localities, and Associated Fauna 5. Description of Dromornithid Structure 6. Relationships and Phylogeny 7. Dromornithids and the Origin of Anseriform Birds 8. Relationships within the Dromornithidae III. Paleobiology 9. Appearance, Posture, and Stature 10. Body Mass Estimations 11. Could Dromornithids Run? 12. The Feeding Apparatus 13. The Economy of Scale IV. Paleoecology 14. Evidence from Local Faunas 15. Habitat and Diet 16. Evolution Conclusion Appendix: Basic Avian Skeletal Morphology Glossary References Index

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