Analysis
of bones from now-extinct elephant birds could shed new light on the fate of
the giant fowls.
A team of
scientists led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) studied skeletons of
the huge birds that were discovered on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar.
The species of 10-foot-tall birds (known
as Aepyornis and Mullerornis) weighed up to 1,100-pounds.
The bones
were found in 2009 at the site of Madagascar’s Christmas River. Cut marks and
fractures on the bones were likely made by prehistoric hunters, according to
the experts. By using radiocarbon dating, the scientists discovered that the
birds were killed around 10,500 years ago.
The study
is significant because previous research on lemur bones and other artifacts
indicated that humans first arrived in Madagascar 2,400 to 4,000 years ago. The
butchered bones therefore suggest that humans reached the island much earlier
than previously thought.
Scientists
published their findings in the journal Science
Advances.
The new
research also rekindles the debate about whether humans caused the extinction
of the giant bird, according to Science. “We already know that Madagascar’s
megafauna – elephant birds, hippos, giant tortoises and giant lemurs – became
extinct less than 1,000 years ago,” said lead author Dr. James Hansford of
ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, in a statement. “There are a number of theories about why
this occurred, but the extent of human involvement hasn’t been clear.”
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