Aepyornis
Extinct genus of birds
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Key Takeaways
- Aepyornis is an extinct genus of elephant bird formerly endemic to Madagascar.
- hildebrandti and the larger A.
- Its closest living relative is the New Zealand kiwi.
- Taxonomy Brodkorb (1963) listed four species of Aepyornis as valid: A.
- However, Hume and Walters (2012) listed only one species, A.
Aepyornis is an extinct genus of elephant bird formerly endemic to Madagascar. The genus had two species, the smaller A. hildebrandti and the larger A. maximus, which is possibly the largest bird ever to have lived. Its closest living relative is the New Zealand kiwi. They became extinct sometime around AD 1000, probably as a result of human activity.
Taxonomy
Brodkorb (1963) listed four species of Aepyornis as valid: A. hildebrandti, A. gracilis, A. medius and A. maximus. However, Hume and Walters (2012) listed only one species, A. maximus. Most recently, Hansford and Turvey (2018) recognized only A. hildebrandti and A. maximus.
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