Radiocarbon date for the largest extinct bird
Radiocarbon date for the largest extinct bird
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最大灭绝鸟类的放射性碳年代测定
作者：
R. Berger;K. Ducote;K. Robinson;H. Walter
1973年12月，在马达加斯加南部多芬堡(21°1‘S，47°E)西南50公里处的一个地点，发现了两块已灭绝的巨象鸟Aepyornis sp.的蛋壳碎片。这种鸟在外观上与鸵鸟(Strathio Camelus)相似，但没有直接亲缘关系，是迄今存在的最大的鸟类；最大的物种身高3米，产卵长达35厘米1。获取小碎片的地点位于距海岸线约100米的沿海沙丘上。紧邻的地区下伏着花岗岩，顶部覆盖着火成岩碎屑。气候为半干旱，年平均降雨量为500-600毫米。植被由灌木组成，其间点缀着许多特有的肉质植物，包括非常高的、茎状的石竹科植物2。
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.