Aepyornis maximus
Class Aves, Superorder Paleognathae, Order Aepyornithiformes, Family Aepyornithidae
Geological Time: Pleistocene , Less Than 1.8 Million Years Old
Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Fossil is 95 mm by 52 mm (maximum diagonal), 4 mm thick
Fossil Site: Madagascar
Code: AE02
Price: Sold
 Description:
This is a fragment of eggshell from the famous Elephant Bird of
Madagascar, Aepyornis maximus. This giant, flightless bird lived
during the Pleistocene before becoming extinct in the early 17th
Century. It was thought to have given rise to the  mythical Roc,
a bird which was supposed to be large enough to carry off elephants.
These birds stood up to 3 meters in height, and weighed some 450
kg. Large birds lay large eggs, but these were ENORMOUS. With a
volume of 9 liters, they were probably at the maximum size possible,
and some FIFTEEN TIMES larger than those of today’s Ostrich.
Such a large egg needs a thick shell, with thickness a limiting
factor both in oxygen exchange for the developing chick, as well
as resistance to hatching (they were not given a pickaxe!). This
fine fragment is offered in a Riker-type display box. A whole egg
would be worth over $10,000, which is why you sometimes see them
made of fragments pieced together, betrayed as such by the mosaic
of colors and textures. This one was found in two pieces which
have been glued together. At any rate, here is a fine example of
eggshell from one of these huge ratites offered at an affordable
price. |
