Emuarius

Emuarius
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Early Miocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Casuariiformes
Family: Casuariidae
Genus: Emuarius
Boles, 1992
Species
  • Emuarius guljaruba (Boles, 2001)[1]
  • Emuarius gidju (Patterson & Rich, 1987)[2]

Emuarius is an extinct genus of casuariiform flightless bird from Australia that lived during the early Miocene and late Oligocene. It is one of two known genera of emu.[3] There are two known species in the genus, Emuarius gidju and Emuarius guljaruba. The birds in this genus are known as emuwaries. This name comes from a combination of emu and cassowary. This is due to its cassowary-like skull and femur and emu-like lower leg and foot.[4] Because of these similarities it is phylogenetically placed between cassowaries and emus.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Boles, Walter E. (2001). "A new emu (Dromaiinae) from the Late Oligocene Etadunna Formation". Emu - Austral Ornithology. 101 (4): 317–321. doi:10.1071/MU00052. S2CID 1808852.
  2. ^ Patterson, C. and Rich, P. V. (1987). "The fossil history of the emus, Dromaius (Aves: Dromaiinae)". Records of the South Australian Museum. 21 (2): 85–11.
  3. ^ Worthy, Trevor H.; Hand, Suzanne J.; Archer, Michael (Mar 2014). "Phylogenetic relationships of the Australian Oligo-Miocene ratite Emuarius gidju Casuariidae". Integrative Zoology. 9 (2): 148–166. doi:10.1111/1749-4877.12050. ISSN 1749-4877. PMID 24673760.
  4. ^ Boles, Walter E. (1992). "Revision of Dromaius gidju Patterson and Rich, 1987 from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia, with a reassessment of its generic position" (PDF). Papers in Avian Paleontology. 36. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series: 195–208.
  5. ^ Boles, Walter (1992-01-01). "Revision of Dromaius gidju Patterson and Rich, 1987 from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia, with a reassessment of its generic position". Los Angeles County Museum, Science Series. 36: 195–208.
  • Vickers-Rich, Patricia and Rich, Thomas Hewitt (1999). Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent. Life of the Past. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253336439.
  • Murray, Peter F. and Vickers-Rich, Patricia (2004). Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime. Life of the Past. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253342829.