Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Aepyornithidae (elephant bird)

Reptilia - Aepyornithiformes - Aepyornithidae

Taxonomy
Aepyornithidae was named by Bonaparte (1853).

It was assigned to Aepyornithiformes by Lambrecht (1933), Wetmore (1960), Carroll (1988), Livezey and Zusi (2007).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1853Aepyornithidae Bonaparte
1933Aepyornithidae Lambrecht p. 193
1960Aepyornithidae Wetmore p. 24
1988Aepyornithidae Carroll
2007Aepyornithidae Livezey and Zusi p. 89

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
RankNameAuthor
—Crocopoda
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Dinosauria()
—Theropoda()
—Neotheropoda
—AverostraPaul 2002
—Tetanurae
—Coelurosauria()
—Maniraptora
—Paraves
classAves
subclassNeornithesGadow 1893
superorderPalaeognathaePycraft 1900
orderAepyornithiformes
familyAepyornithidaeBonaparte 1853
familyAepyornithidaeBonaparte 1853

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. †Aepyornithidae Bonaparte 1853 [elephant bird]
show all | hide all
G. †Aepyornis Geoffroy 1850
hide
†Aepyornis hildebrandti Burckhardt 1893
†Aepyornis maximus Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 1850
†Aepyornis medius Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1869
G. †Mullerornis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
hide
†Mullerornis agilis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
†Mullerornis betsilei Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
†Mullerornis rudis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Entire body: yeso
Adult length: 10 to < 100o
Adult width: 1.0 to < 10o
Adult height: 1.0 to < 10o
Architecture: compact or denseo
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partso
Grouping: solitaryo
Environment: terrestrialo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: ground dwellingo
Diet: carnivoresubo
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2009-01-03 20:39:15
Modified: 2009-01-03 22:39:15
Source: subo = suborder, o = order
References: Marsh 1875, Benton 1983

Age range: base of the Early/Lower Miocene to the top of the Holocene or 23.03000 to 0.00000 Ma

Collections (12 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Libya Aepyornithidae indet. (13065)
Tortonian - Messinian11.62 - 5.333Kenya Aepyornithidae indet. (22241)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Madagascar Mullerornis sp., Aepyornis hildebrandti (204645 204646)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0Madagascar Aepyornis sp. (195018) Aepyornis sp., Mullerornis sp. (95824 95827)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Madagascar Aepyornis sp. (181845) Aepyornis sp., Mullerornis sp. (195019) Mullerornis modestus (236022)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Madagascar (Toliara) Aepyornis sp. (92732) Mullerornis sp. (92733)