Osteodontornis is an extinct genus of seabird that lived in the Miocene. The type species is Osteodontornis orri. It was named by Hildegarde Howard.
Description[]
With a wingspan of 5.5 to 6 metres (18-20ft) and a height of 1.2 metres (3.9ft), it was the one of the largest flying birds known. Like its relatives, its bones were relatively light body, and its very narrow wings resembled albatrosses. It had fragmented quadrate bone and distal humerus. The beak was so heavy and probably filled with cancellous bone or hollow. It ate squid and other soft-bodied prey such as cephalopods.
Distribution[]
It had a range of California, Venezuela, Peru, and Japan.
Gallery[]
