Gastornis is an extinct genus of large, flightless birds that lived during the mid-Paleocene to mid-Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia and North America, with the North American specimens formerly assigned to the genus Diatryma.
Gastornis species were very large birds that were traditionally thought to have been predators of various smaller mammals, such as ancient, diminutive equids. However, several lines of evidence, including the lack of hooked claws (in known Gastornis footprints), studies of their beak structure and isotopic signatures of their bones, have caused scientists to speculate that these birds were potentially herbivorous, feeding on tough plant material and seeds. Gastornis is, generally, agreed to be related to the Galloanserae, the group containing waterfowl and gamebirds.
^Cécile Mourer-Chauviré; Estelle Bourdon (2020). "Description of a new species of Gastornis (Aves, Gastornithiformes) from the early Eocene of La Borie, southwestern France" (PDF). Geobios. 63: 39–46. Bibcode:2020Geobi..63...39M. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2020.10.002. S2CID 228975095.
material and seeds. Gastornis is, generally, agreed to be related to the Galloanserae, the group containing waterfowl and gamebirds. Gastornis was first described...
the Anseriformes. Recognizing the apparent close relationship between Gastornis and waterfowl, some researchers even classify them within the anseriform...
narratives. Martin, L.D. (1992) The status of the Late Paleocene birds Gastornis and Remiornis. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County...
is found amidst a rich avian fauna, which also included the gigantic Gastornis and the enigmatic ratite Remiornis. Like most lithornithids, it was probably...
Family Phasianidae: pheasants and relatives Family Gastornithidae (see Gastornis) Family Dromornithidae: mihirungs Worldwide; 150 species Family Anhimidae:...
Leptictidium were otter noises, pitch shifted and reversed, and the sounds of Gastornis were made by a monkey and a rattlesnake, slightly edited. Megatherium...
hesperornithines, and even the larger terrestrial theropods (in the form of Gastornis, eogruiids, bathornithids, ratites, geranoidids, mihirungs, and "terror...
anseriformes, in chronological order of divergence: the gastornithids (Gastornis and kin), Brontornis, and finally the mihirungs of Australia. However...
such as Messelasturidae, Halcyornithidae, large flightless forms such as Gastornis and Eleutherornis, long legged falcon Masillaraptor, ancient galliforms...
leave the playground. Johnny was not found just then. Instead a young Gastornis, named Madison, is brought up. Manny and Ellie then come by. Egbert got...
in the Eocene of France in association with another flightless bird, Gastornis, potentially indicating that geranoidids took advantage of land bridges...
(miacids) were alive.[citation needed] 59 Ma Earliest sailfish appear. 56 Ma Gastornis, a large flightless bird, appears in the fossil record. 55 Ma Modern bird...
males. Large individuals of Gastornis (also known as Diatryma) reaged up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height. Weight of Gastornis ranges from 100 kg (220 lb)...
to a gull. On the archipelago-continent of Europe, the flightless bird Gastornis was the largest herbivore at 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall for the largest species...
mined in the 19th century. The first fossil of the European diatryma Gastornis parisiensis was discovered in these deposits by Gaston Planté. Archaeological...
Frederic Augustus Lucas, represented the shoulder of a large bird similar to Gastornis, and named it Alabamornis gigantea. Lucas later countered his conclusion...
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