Big Bird Was Scary
51; A giant fossil bird with a serrated-edge beak was found in Chile, reported Science Daily, PhysOrg, Live Science, and New Scientist. The projections on its beak look like teeth but are not true teeth. They probably helped the sea bird hold onto fish. The artist reconstruction gives the bird a scary-looking demeanor.
The 17-foot wingspan of Pelagornis chilensis establishes a new record (the largest living bird, the California condor, measures 10 feet). National Geographic has a photo gallery of the find, and New Scientist includes a photograph of the actual fossil. New Scientist began its coverage, PhysOrg suggested these true birds may have co-existed with the earliest humans.
Why do we keep finding bigger and better animals in the fossil record? That doesn’t sound like evolution. As for the millions of years and dinosaur heritage talk, see the 05/10/2010 entry.