Aepyornithidae

Belongs within: Palaeognathae.

The Aepyornithidae, elephantbirds, are a group of large, flightless birds found until relatively recently on Madagascar. Some were the heaviest birds known to have existed. Representatives bore straight, thick, conical beaks without a terminal hook.

<==Aepyornithidae [Aepyornithiformes, Aepyornithoidea]
    |--MullerornisWH02
    |    |--M. agilis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier 1894U93
    |    |--M. betsilei Milne-Edwards & Grandidier 1894U93
    |    |--M. grandisWH02
    |    `--M. rudis Milne-Edwards & Grandidier 1894U93
    `--Aepyornis Geoffroy St Hilaire 1851D07
         |--A. gracilis Monnier 1913U93
         |--A. hildebrandti Burckhardt 1893U93
         |--A. maximus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1851U93
         |--A. medius Milne-Edwards & Grandidier 1866U93
         `--A. titanD07

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[U93] Unwin, D. M. 1993. Aves. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 717–737. Chapman & Hall: London.

[WH02] Worthy, T. H., & R. N. Holdaway. 2002. The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric life of New Zealand. Indiana University Press: Bloomington (Indiana).