Mullerornis Explained

Mullerornis modestus is an extinct species of elephant bird, and the only member of the genus Mullerornis.

Taxonomy

The genus is named after Georges Muller, a French explorer, who was killed in 1892 by hostile members of the Sakalava people.

Synonyms of Mullerornis modestus

• Mullerornis betsilei Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894^[1] (Betsileo elephant bird)
• Mullerornis agilis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894 (agile/coastal elephant bird)
• Mullerornis rudis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1894 (robust elephant bird)
• ?Mullerornis grandis Lamberton 1934 (holotype destroyed in a fire in 1995)

Description

Mullerornis is smaller than the more well-known Aepyornis,^{[2] [3]} with a still substantial body mass of approximately 80kg (180lb).^[4] A bone possibly belonging to Mullerornis has been radiocarbon dated to about 1260 BP,^[5] suggesting that the animal was still extant at the end of the first millennium.^[6] Aepyornis modestus was shown by Hansford and Turvey (2018) to be a senior synonym of all nominal Mullerornis species described by Milne-Edwards and Grandidier (1894), resulting in the new combination Mullerornis modestus.^[7]

Palaeobiology

Nocturnality

Like other elephant birds and its kiwi relatives, Mullerornis probably was nocturnal based on the small size of its optic lobes, though it shows less optical lobe reduction than these other taxa, implying slightly more crepuscular habits.^[8]

Diet

Isotopic evidence suggests that Mullerornis was likely a browsing herbivore.^[9]

Reproduction

The eggs of Mullerornis are substantially smaller than those of Aepyornis, weighting approximately 0.86kg (01.9lb), with a shell thickness of about 1.1abbr=onNaNabbr=on.

References

• Burney. David A. . James. Helen F.. Grady. Frederick V. . Rafamantanantsoa. Jean-Gervais. Ramilisonina. Wright. Henry T.. Cowart. James B. . 1997 . Environmental change, extinction and human activity: Evidence from caves in NW Madagascar . Journal of Biogeography. 24 . 6 . 755–767 . 10.1046/j.1365-2699.1997.00146.x. 2027.42/75139 . free.
• Burney. David A. . Burney. Lida Pigott. Godfrey. Laurie R. . Jungers. William L.. Goodman. Steven M. . Wright. Henry T. . Jull. A. J. Timothy. 2004 . A chronology for late prehistoric Madagascar . Journal of Human Evolution . 47 . 1–2 . 25–63 . 15288523. 10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.05.005 .
• Encyclopedia: Davies . S. J. J. F.. Hutchins, Michael . Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia . Elephant birds . 2 . 2003 . Gale Group . 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins . Farmington Hills, MI. 0-7876-5784-0 . 103–104.
• MacPhee. R. D. E. . Burney. David A.. Wells. N. A. . 1985 . Early Holocene chronology and environment of Ampasambazimba, a Malagasy subfossil lemur site . International Journal of Primatology . 6 . 5 . 463–489 . 10.1007/BF02735571 . 44449535 .

Notes and References

1. Book: Extinct birds . Julian P. Hume. Michael Walters. T&AD Poyser. 544 . 978-1408158616. 2012.
2. Burney, et al. (1997), p. 763
3. MacPhee, et al. (1985), table II
4. Grealy . Alicia . Miller . Gifford H. . Phillips . Matthew J. . Clarke . Simon J. . Fogel . Marilyn . Patalwala . Diana . Rigby . Paul . Hubbard . Alysia . Demarchi . Beatrice . Collins . Matthew . Mackie . Meaghan . Sakalauskaite . Jorune . Stiller . Josefin . Clarke . Julia A. . Legendre . Lucas J. . 2023-02-28 . Molecular exploration of fossil eggshell uncovers hidden lineage of giant extinct bird . Nature Communications . en . 14 . 1 . 914 . 10.1038/s41467-023-36405-3 . 2041-1723. free . 9974994 .
5. Burney, et al. (2004), p. 50
6. Burney et al. (2004), p. 25
7. Hansford, J. P.; Turvey, S. T. (2018-09-26). "Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae) and a new identity for the world's largest bird". Royal Society Open Science. 5 (9): 181295. doi:10.1098/rsos.181295.
8. Christopher R. Torres & Julia A. Clarke. 2018. Nocturnal giants: evolution of the sensory ecology in elephant birds and other palaeognaths inferred from digital brain reconstructions. Proc. R. Soc. B 285 (1890); doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1540
9. Hansford . James P. . Turvey . Samuel T. . April 2022 . Dietary isotopes of Madagascar's extinct megafauna reveal Holocene browsing and grazing guilds . Biology Letters . en . 18 . 4 . 20220094 . 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0094 . 1744-957X . 9006009 . 35414222.