Ancient Proteins Show First Australians Eat Massive Eggs of Flightless 'Thunder Birds'

A set of eggshell fragments unearthed in Australia revealed that the ancient settlers of the continent were fond of consuming the eggs of an extinct flightless bird. The avians, also known as the 'Genyornis,' disappeared from the planet 47,000 years ago. These birds could grow up to two meters in height.

Genyornis: Prehistoric Australia's Flightless Birds

Ancient eggshell fragments collected in Australia revealed that flightless birds were part of the menu of the first people that walked the Earth. The birds that produce these eggs are now extinct, but the compounds left and buried in the shells of their offspring show that human ancestors were able to cook large shelled food in their time.

The study, led by scholars from the University of Cambridge, the University of Turin, and the University of Colorado Boulder, presented credible evidence confirming the mysterious evolutionary tree of the flightless birds that owned the giant eggs.

Part of the examination involved genome sequencing over the powders extracted from remnants of the bird's eggshells. The findings from these proteins were then matched to the genetics contained in avian species closest to the ancient animal living today.

University of Cambridge's McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research specialist and lead author of the research Matthew Collins explained in a press release that the information gathered from the ancient eggshells was based on the fragments' temperature, time, and chemistry; these factors dictate how much data is collected.

Eggshells have a structure made from mineral crystals, most of which envelope proteins responsible for preserving the biological history of the species across various shifts and extremities of the environment it was buried millions of years ago, Collins continued.

The findings suggest that the eggs were from an enormous flightless bird species called Genyornis. These birds are known as 'mihirung' or 'thunder birds.' Their morphology consists of large legs and tiny wings.

Thunder Bird Egg Diet of First Australians Contributed to the Avian's Extinction

The majority of Genyornis remains are frequently excavated in Australia. During their existence, these massive birds are believed to roam throughout the country's prehistoric lands and possibly traveled in flocks, EurekAlert reports.

Fossil studies associated with the Genyornis show that the maximum height of these birds reaches up to two meters. They are quite heavy, with adult thunder birds weighing between 220 to 240 kilograms. Their eggs weigh approximately 1.5 kilograms.

Genyornis is one of Australia's prehistoric megafauna. The avians became extinct just a few thousand years after the first humans existed across various continents. These intersecting events led experts to theorize that the arrival of human ancestors played a significant part in the vanishing of the Genyornis.

University of Colorado Boulder geological sciences expert and co-author of the study Gifford Miller said that there was no record of butchery activities related to Genyornis, but the burnt markings on their eggshell fragments are found in many regions of the planet.

Overexploitation of the thunder bird eggs might have been one of the reasons that pushed these avians to their extinction, Miller added.

The study was published in the journal PNAS Anthropology, titled "Ancient proteins resolve controversy over the identity of Genyornis eggshell."

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