Posted on 06/01/2022 11:48:05 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Proteins extracted from fragments of prehistoric eggshell found in the Australian sands confirm that the continent’s earliest humans consumed the eggs of a two-metre tall bird that disappeared into extinction over 47,000 years ago.
Burn marks discovered on scraps of ancient shell several years ago suggested the first Australians cooked and ate large eggs from a long-extinct bird – leading to fierce debate over the species that laid them.
Now, an international team led by scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Turin have placed the animal on the evolutionary tree by comparing the protein sequences from powdered egg fossils to those encoded in the genomes of living avian species...
“Eggshells are made of mineral crystals that can tightly trap some proteins, preserving this biological data in the harshest of environments – potentially for millions of years.”
According to findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the ancient eggs came from Genyornis: a huge flightless “mihirung” – or ‘Thunder Bird’ – with tiny wings and massive legs that roamed prehistoric Australia, possibly in flocks.
Fossil records show that Genyornis stood over two metres tall, weighed between 220-240 kilograms, and laid melon-sized eggs of around 1.5 kg. It was among the Australian “mega-fauna” to vanish a few thousand years after humans arrived, suggesting people played a role in its extinction.
The earliest “robust” date for the arrival of humans to Australia is some 65,000 years ago. Burnt eggshells from the previously unconfirmed species all date to around 50 to 55 thousand years ago – not long before Genyornis is thought to have gone extinct – by which time humans had spread across most of the continent.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
First Australians ate giant eggs of huge flightless birds and I wasn’t an egg so I said nothing.
Then they came for the Jews, and
Well, of course they did. They ate anything they could grab or bonk on the head.
comparing the protein sequences from powdered egg fossils
I’ve seen some of those in C-ration boxes...
Petrified monster lima beans too.
There it is!
“laid melon-sized eggs of around 1.5 kg”
Mmmm, imagine the omelette you could make with that, with a little kangaroo cheese and croc bacon.
So the aborigines are to blame thanks for the report 🤪
Damn - beat me to Ringo and the gang.
What’s for breakfast and dinner?
Eggs. Eggs from Big Bird.
Although, if the cassowary is indication, it might not have been easy.
Time to round up all those pesky kangaroos.
“Well, of course they did. They ate anything they could grab or bonk on the head.”
Exactly. Do these studies ever produce any information of practical value?
A one-egg omelet fed the whole village.
And, what happened to frying pan?
Or rather, since this is Australia we’re talking about, where’s the giant bottle of beer?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
