The bird species that brings a sense of peace to modern coastal areas once had a monstrous version in the past, known for preying on seals.
According to Science Times, fossilized remains such as oversized albatross bones were unearthed on New Zealand’s North Island, revealing the past life and predatory behavior of this species as a fearsome monster.
A paper published in the journal Taxonomy reports that the remains are approximately 3 million years old, collected from the initial discovery by amateur fossil hunter Alastair Johnson in 2017. Johnson had found the skull at that time and later discovered wing bones two years later.
“Portrait” of the ancient monster albatross – (Photo: Simone Giovanardi).
The specimen has been named Macronectes tinae, in honor of Johnson’s late partner, Tina King. This extinct creature belongs to the giant albatross genus Macronectes, which includes several other large species still in existence today.
However, this ancient bird was not only enormous but also “fully armed,” making it a fearsome predator that haunted ancient shorelines.
The research team led by paleontologist Rodrigo Salvador from the Arctic University of Norway indicated that this creature could have had a wingspan of about 1.5 meters in the past, larger than most modern albatrosses, although still smaller than the North and South Giant Albatross species.
Its most significant advantage was its strong, large legs and broad feet, allowing it to walk on land and hunt smaller terrestrial animals. It also possessed a dagger-like beak that enabled it to pierce the remains of large animals on the shoreline, such as seals, to feast on their innards, a feat no other albatross species could accomplish.
The discovered remains – (Photo: TAXONOMY).
The discovery of this monster also brings a grim forecast: during the Pliocene epoch, when this horrifying albatross existed, temperatures in New Zealand were several degrees Celsius higher than today. This is also one of the reasons the albatross lineage produced such a monster.
We are heading toward such temperatures, and it is entirely possible that albatrosses could once again grow large and fierce.
“People may not really care about how giant the albatross was 2-3 million years ago. But understanding how different animal groups were distributed during warmer periods in Earth’s history helps us predict how everything might change in the future,” stated paleontologist Daniel Ksepa from the Bruce Museum in the U.S., who did not participate in the research, commenting on the significance of the new discovery.
