ancient
1 of giant australian bird points to humans the first direct evidence that humans played a substantial role in the extinction of the huge,
2 beasts inhabiting australia some 50,000 years ago -- in this case a 500-pound bird -- has been discovered by a university of colorado boulder-led team.
the flightless bird, known as genyornis newtoni, was nearly 7 feet tall and appears to have lived in much of australia prior to the establishment of humans on the continent 50,000 years ago, said cu-boulder professor gifford
3. the evidence consists of diagnostic burn patterns on genyornis eggshell fragments that indicate humans were collecting and cooking its eggs,
4 reducing the birds' reproductive success.
"we consider this the first and only secure evidence that humans were directly
5 on now-extinct australian megafauna," said miller, associate director of cu-boulder's institute of arctic and
6 research. "we have documented these characteristically burned genyornis eggshells at more than 200 sites across the continent."
a paper on the subject appears online jan. 29, in nature communications.
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