Giant Prehistoric Bird The Size Of A Polar Bear Discovered In Crimean Cave

Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com – About two million years ago, this giant, flightless bird lived along early Europeans.

Its fossils were unearthed in the Taurida Cave in Crimea along the northern coast of the Black Sea by researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Examination of the fossils reveal the bird was measured over 11 feet tall. It was the size of a polar bear.

The 450 kg flightless bird (artist’s impression) may have been a source of meat, bones, feathers and eggshells for early humans ( Andrey Atuchin )

“When I first felt the weight of the bird whose thigh bone I was holding in my hand, I thought it must be a Malagasy elephant bird fossil because no birds of this size have ever been reported from Europe. However, the structure of the bone unexpectedly told a different story,” said lead author Dr Nikita Zelenkov from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The researchers have not yet determined the  species of the bird but say it’s related to the species Pachystruthio dmanisensis. 

“We don’t have enough data yet to say whether it was most closely related to ostriches or to other birds. This formidable weight is nearly double the largest moa, three times the largest living bird, the common ostrich, and nearly as much as an adult polar bear.”

See also:

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Researchers suggest the giant ancient bird probably reached the Black Sea region via the Southern Caucasus and Turkey.

“The Taurida cave network was only discovered last summer when a new motorway was being built. Last year, mammoth remains were unearthed and there may be much more to that the site will teach us about Europe’s distant past,” said Dr Zelenkov.

Millions of years ago, many animals were much larger and it’s likely the bird was so tall because the environment was becoming increasing arid as the Pleistocene epoch approached.

The prehistoric bird was flightless, and yet very fast as experts determined by examining its thin femur bone.

Written by Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com Staff