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Informationen zum Autor Peter F. Murray is a researcher at the Museum of Central Australia in Alice Springs. Patricia Vickers-Rich holds a Chair in Palaeontology at Monash University, where she lectures in the Earth Sciences Department. She is co-author (with Thomas H. Rich) of Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent (IUP, 2000) and Dinosaurs of Darkness (IUP, 2000). Klappentext It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds. Zusammenfassung Over millions of years, Australia's biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the extinct family Dromornithidae. This book is the study of this diverse group. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preliminary Table of Contents: Acknowledgments Introductioin I. Discovery 1. The Discovery of the Dromornithids II. Systematics and Morphology 2. Mihirungs: Extinct, Gigantic Australian Geese 3. Classification 4. Overview of Dromornithid Species, Localities, and Associated Fauna 5. Description of Dromornithid Structure 6. Relationships and Phylogeny 7. Dromornithids and the Origin of Anseriform Birds 8. Relationships within the Dromornithidae III. Paleobiology 9. Appearance, Posture, and Stature 10. Body Mass Estimations 11. Could Dromornithids Run? 12. The Feeding Apparatus 13. The Economy of Scale IV. Paleoecology 14. Evidence from Local Faunas 15. Habitat and Diet 16. Evolution Conclusion Appendix: Basic Avian Skeletal Morphology Glossary References Index
