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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2005 9:52:53 GMT
Hi there !
Natunaornis gigoura is a giant flightless pigeon from Viti Levu / Fiji and was recently described in 2001.
The bird was similar in size to the Dodo. But the wings were much larger.
The next living relative of Natunaornis seems to be the species of the genus Goura from New Guinea.
Bye Alex
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2005 9:59:32 GMT
A new genus and species are erected for a giant flightless pigeon described from post-cranial fossil bones from four Quaternary sites on Viti Levu, Fiji, in the South Pacific. Lack of cranial material and transformations associated with large size and loss of flight obscure its relationships, but some characters of the tarsometatarsus, tibiotarsus, and humerus are closer to Goura than to any other taxon. The new taxon approaches the dodo and the solitaire in size, but its wings were not as reduced as in these Mascarene birds. A tentatively referred premaxilla suggests that the Fiji bird had an unspecialised bill. It coexisted with a similar-sized, flightless megapode, a terrestrial crocodilian, and a giant iguana, which were the largest animals in prehuman Fiji
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Post by Peter on Apr 11, 2005 13:21:16 GMT
Do you know more about the time when this animal lived. Did it survive into modern times. Became it extinct before or after 1500 AD? Because the Quaternary period last two million years till today!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2005 15:26:00 GMT
;D This is just everything that I know, but I believe this bird has been killed by the first polynesian settlers.
Bye Alex
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Post by another specialist on Jun 14, 2005 4:35:28 GMT
A new genus and species are erected for a giant flightless pigeon described from post-cranial fossil bones from four Quaternary sites on Viti Levu, Fiji, in the South Pacific. Lack of cranial material and transformations associated with large size and loss of flight obscure its relationships, but some characters of the tarsometatarsus, tibiotarsus, and humerus are closer to Goura than to any other taxon. The new taxon approaches the dodo and the solitaire in size, but its wings were not as reduced as in these Mascarene birds. A tentatively referred premaxilla suggests that the Fiji bird had an unspecialised bill. It coexisted with a similar-sized, flightless megapode, a terrestrial crocodilian, and a giant iguana, which were the largest animals in prehuman Fiji. The above info is from this PDF file noisi has mentioned. www.rsnz.org/publish/jrsnz/2001/40.php |
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Post by cryptodude100 on Jun 14, 2006 13:53:30 GMT
If Natunaornis was as large as a dodo,then how much does it weigh?
What is the estimated weight? A dod is estimated to weigh 40 to 50 pounds.
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Post by cryptodude100 on Jun 19, 2006 16:26:56 GMT
Does anyone know?
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Post by Melanie on Jun 19, 2006 16:39:11 GMT
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Post by cryptodude100 on Jul 11, 2006 19:27:17 GMT
thanks melanie  |
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Post by adzebill on Aug 17, 2006 17:19:10 GMT
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Post by dysmorodrepanis on Aug 18, 2006 0:38:03 GMT
Fiji has recently launch a stamp showing a reconstruction of this bird (evidently based on Microgoura)  This seems to be clean Microgoura to me. Megavitiornis was so much derived. Similar, the megapode is not a good reconstruction either. The rail's good though. |
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Post by another specialist on Aug 18, 2006 7:56:29 GMT
All the stamps represent living species so not really reconstructions look at the iguana image its a crocodile for starters. Noisi was the one you informed me of this first. |
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Post by RSN on Oct 29, 2006 18:03:25 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Oct 29, 2006 19:41:22 GMT
Nice pic mate
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Post by RSN on Oct 29, 2006 21:33:26 GMT
Is correct reconstruct it with crest?
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Post by dysmorodrepanis on Oct 29, 2006 22:16:31 GMT
This is entirely conjectural. Don't be misled by "-goura", it's a monotypic genus without close relatives! And for all that can be said, the coloration is unjustifiable. It most likely was not yellow anywhere, and probably neither green. The bill was very high and wide. See here: www.rsnz.org/publish/jrsnz/2001/40.pdf |
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Post by sordes on Aug 17, 2007 9:24:36 GMT
A little more information from the stampsfiji-site:
Vitilevu giant pigeon ( Natunaornis gigoura) this is a giant flightless pigeon, up to 80cm (32inches) tall, only slightly smaller than the fabled dodo of Mauritius. Though the remains of many large extinct pigeons have been discovered in the Pacific region, this is easily the largest. It probably fed mainly on fallen fruit and land molluscs and crab. It was named in honour of Kiniviliame Natuna, the senior chief of Volivoli in Nadroga, where the fossil remains of this bird were first discovered.
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Post by another specialist on Aug 17, 2007 10:20:28 GMT
The Viti Levu Giant Pigeon (Natunaornis gigoura) was a flightless pigeon, only slightly smaller than the dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria). The genus Natunaornis is named after Natuna, the oldest chief of the Volivoli people in the Sigatoka Valley, wherein the fossil bones of the type species were first found.[1] The scientific specific name reflects the large size of this fossil species and its proposed affinities to the crowned pigeons Goura. Remains of this species were discovered in October 1998 at Viti Levu, the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. Its first description was published in 2001 by T.H. Worthy. [1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natunaornis |
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Post by another specialist on Aug 17, 2007 11:04:57 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Sept 9, 2008 20:13:58 GMT
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