According to the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, fossils of a giant white heron was found on the island of Flores. The researchers said the fossil discovery of this crane is important to study the evolution of early humans are also found on this island, Homo floresiensis.
White stork named Leptoptilos robustus was 1.8 meters tall and weighing up to 16 pounds, making this stork highest and most severe among other heron species.
Hanneke Meijer palaeontologists from the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, the Netherlands, found the fossils, along with colleague Dr Rokus Due from the National Archaeological Research Center in Jakarta. They found four foot bones in Liang Bua cave, the island of Flores. The bones are believed to be part of a stork that lived between 20,000 to 50,000 years ago.
"I realized the bones of a giant crane is the first time in Jakarta, when they are juxtaposed with the bones of the other smaller. Finding the big bird was common on the island. But I did not expect to find a giant white stork, "said Dr. Meijer.
No wing bones were found. The researchers think this heron rarely or never flying. The size and weight of leg bones and bone wall thickness showed stork is very heavy so it spends most of his life on land.
The discovery of giant species are not new on the island of Flores. Researchers have discovered dwarf creatures, such as dwarf elephants and Komodo Stedgodon florensis insularis Varanus komodoensis. In this island the scientists also found fossils of dwarf humans, Homo floresiensis, which has only one meter tall.
This phenomenon is known as changing the size factor of the island and triggered a few predators on the island. As a result, the animals that become increasingly smaller prey, whereas the larger predators. "Large mammals such as elephants and primates showed decreased size. While small mammals like rodents and birds enlarged size, "explained Dr. Meijer.
Homo floresiensis was found in 2004. Until now, researchers are still debating the status of Homo floresiensis. Scientists still mepertanyakan whether human dwarf that lived 12,000 to 8,000 years ago that included Homo erectus or Homo sapiens.
"The status of Homo floresiensis is a matter of debate ever since been found. In my opinion, this giant white stork memahamai important for the evolution of Homo floresiensis. There is speculation that the giant white crane It takes Homo floresiensis. Although there is no evidence, the possibility can not be ruled out, "said Dr. Meijer.
Up to now not clear why a giant crane, elephant kate, and early humans were extinct. "But we have some clues. All bone giant white storks as well as pygmy elephants and humans kate found under a thick layer of volcanic ash. There might be a volcanic eruption. Second, white stork and giant creatures became extinct before modern human contemporaries appeared in the cave, "added Dr. Meijer. (By Raras Cahyafitri)