Giga-Goose: a New Fossil Discovery!
Genyornis newtoni paleo art by Jacob C. Blokland
Post Author - J. Carlin Decker III
A new discovery of a giant prehistoric bird in a southern Australian lakebed suggests a very distant, and extremely large relative to our modern day honking waterfowl. This fantastic new find of a skull and a few other bones from Genyornis newtoni, or Newton’s thunder bird, has given us new insight about this large, ancient species.
A skull of G. newtoni was first discovered in 1913, and its name comes from English ornithologist Alfred Newton. Unfortunately, that specimen was deteriorated from salt buildup as well as damaged by overpopulated rabbits burrowing for nourishment. In 2014 vertebrae paleontologist at Flinders University, Jacob Blokland, went out to that initial excavation site, and in 2019, found quite a bit more about this elusive bird.
The remains of the Giga-Goose skull
The original excavators were able to determine that G. newtoni was about 230 kilograms, 2 meters tall (twice the size of an ostrich), and about 50,000 years old, surviving into the Pleistocene Epoch. Based on this initial find, researchers concluded that this bird was more related to another group of giant, flightless birds, gastornithids, that primarily roamed about North America, Europe, and Asia. However, the bombshell find of Blokland’s newfound specimens suggests that G. newtoni is likely the cousin of a completely different group of birds.
Blokland hypothesizes that G. newtoni is more closely related to screamers, a South American waterfowl, but also there are similar skull structures to that of the magpie goose. The more complete skull on the 2019 specimen shows an extra, gooselike bump on the top of its bill, and the way it is shaped suggests it was fit for aquatic life. The shape of the bones in its skull would have helped prevent the flow of water into the ears, making it significantly easier to hunt via the dipping of the head.
Researchers believe that the extinction of G. newtoni was caused by the migration of humans onto the Australian continent, about 65,000 years ago. Environmental factors, such as drier and saltier lakes in southern Australia also contributed to the bird’s demise. This new discovery helped clear up the phylogenetic confusion from 1913, but it is also just intriguing to find out more about these ancient geese.
Featured Product
Dracula's Castle Soil Coffin - Display Card 🦇
Latest News
-
Oct 09, 2025 Scientists Discover First Fossilized Leech! Read More -
Oct 01, 2025 Researchers Recreate Dinosaur Sounds Using Bizarre Instrument! Read More -
Sep 19, 2025 The House that Ruth Built: The Story of the Old Yankee Stadium Read More -
Sep 17, 2025 The Queen of the Skies: the Story of the Boeing 747 Read More -
Sep 11, 2025 Vader’s Lightsaber Becomes the Most Expensive Star Wars Collectible! Read More -
Aug 28, 2025 Learn About the Tiny Aircraft That Turn Sunlight Into Flight! Read More
Cool Things!
Scientists Discover First Fossilized Leech!
Halloween Season is officially upon us, and with that, we present a chilling tale of an ancient, blood-sucking fiend: the leech. The subject of many swimmers’ worst nightmare, a recent study suggests the leech may be millions of years older than originally presumed, and may not have sucked blood.
Researchers Recreate Dinosaur Sounds Using Bizarre Instrument!
Since the first discoveries of dinosaur fossils, much attention has been paid to their physical characteristics; what they looked like. Did they have feathers, scales or both? How did they walk, on two legs or four? So on and so forth. A recent project aims to shed light on another aspect of how dinosaurs were perceived - their sounds!
Vader’s Lightsaber Becomes the Most Expensive Star Wars Collectible!
Last Thursday, an auction set a new record for Star Wars memorabilia, when a screen-used prop of Darth Vader’s lightsaber sold for over $3.6 million.
Specimen Deep Dives
The House that Ruth Built: The Story of the Old Yankee Stadium
The Queen of the Skies: the Story of the Boeing 747
Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!