New Zealand kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) right now The world’s largest parrot and in danger of extinction. It can reach a length of up to 60 centimeters and a total weight of 4 kilos. But it is nothing compared to the world’s most impressive parrot, which lived 19 million years ago.
This The prehistoric parrot, which was probably flightless, was about one meter tall and weighed about 7 kilos.. Fossils of this animal were found in 2008 near Saint Bathans in central Otago, New Zealand, along with other remains dating back 19 million years. This region is known for bird fossils from the Miocene period, which spans 5.3 to 23 million years ago.
However, the study containing the results of this unique finding was not published in the journal until 2019. Biology Letters. Trevor Worthy, head of the study from Flinders University, said: “New Zealand is known for its giant birds. Not only did moas dominate the skies, but a giant eagle soared across the sky as giant geese and adzebills shared the forest habitat. “But so far, no one has found an extinct giant parrot anywhere.”
Researchers gave this new bird its scientific name. Hercules is unexpected in honor of his greatness and Herculean strength.
A huge peak
The parrot had a huge beak, which sparked debate about what its diet might have been. “Hercules, the largest parrot in history and with its giant beak that could open as wide as it wanted, could have eaten more than traditional parrot food, perhaps even other parrots,” Mike told the BBC. He is a member of the study and a professor at the Center for Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research at the University of New South Wales.
When heracles He lived in subtropical forests, where laurel and palm trees were abundant.
“Undoubtedly, these living spaces Rich contribution of fruits to nutrition heracles and also in the parrots and pigeons with which it lives. But on the forest floor, Hercules was competing with adzebills and moa predecessors,” said study author Suzanne Hand, a professor at the University of Sydney in New South Wales.
This species is comparable to the giant pigeon that lives in eastern Madagascar and was twice the size of the New Zealand kakapo, the largest previously known parrot.
Extinct giant bird species lived on islands in ancient timesAs in the dodo, a giant pigeon found in Fiji, the giant stork on Flores, and the giant ducks in Hawaii.
Reference work: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0467
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