Megavitiornis

Megavitiornis Temporal range:Holocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Family:	†Sylviornithidae
Genus:	†Megavitiornis
Species:	†M. altirostris
Binomial name
†Megavitiornis altirostris Worthy,2000

Megavitiornis altirostrisis an extinct, flightless, giant stem-galliformbird that wasendemicto Fiji, it is the only known species in the genusMegavitiornis.Originally thought to be amegapode,more recent morphological studies indicate a close relationship withSylviornisofNew Caledonia,with both genera belonging to the familySylviornithidaeoutside of theGalliformescrown group.It is likely that it became extinct through overhunting shortly after the colonisation of the Fiji Islands by humans.

Etymology

The genus is monotypic, with the generic nameMegavitiornisderived from the Greekmega(great),viti(Fiji), andornis(bird). The specificepithetaltirostriscomes fromLatinaltus(high or noble), androstrum(bill), referring to the extraordinarily large vertical dimension of its bill. Worthy also suggested “Noble Megapode” would be an appropriate vernacular name for the bird.

History

It was described by New ZealandpalaeontologistTrevor Worthyin October 1998 fromsubfossilremains collected by Worthy, G. Udy and S. Mataraba. Sites containing remains include the Udit Tomo cave at Wainibuku, Voli Voli and Delai-ni-qara caves on the island ofViti Levu,as well as onNaigani Island.Theholotypeis held by theMuseum of New Zealand(reg. no: S.037362). In its time it was probably the largest bird in Fiji.

Description and ecology

The bird's flightlessness is evident in its large body size, the extreme reduction of pectoral girdle elements and the loss of a keel on the sternum. The size and proportions of the bill are unlike those of any living fowl and, with a depth of 28% of the length, extraordinarily deep compared to modern galliforms. Worthy speculates that it was used for cracking the hard seeds of large forest fruits; there are several tropical forest trees native to Fiji producing hard seeds that cannot be cracked by any living birds or bats in the islands.