Diatryma
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Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work!Diatryma, extinct, giant flightless bird found as fossils in Early Eocene rocks in North America and Europe (the Eocene Epoch lasted from 57.8 to 36.6 million years ago). Diatryma grew to a height of about 2 1/4 metres (7 feet). Its small wings were not used for flight, but its legs were massively constructed; Diatryma was probably a strong and rapid runner. The head was large and supported a powerful beak; Diatryma was an active predator, probably feeding on the small mammals.
In South America a similarly adapted group is characterized by the unrelated genus Phorusrhacos, common during the Miocene Epoch (between 7,000,000 and 26,000,000 years ago). It was about 1 1/2 metres (5 feet) in height and also had weakly developed wings, strong legs, a large head, and a powerful beak.
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Diatryma and several related genera of extinct flightless predators are often placed in a distinct order, Diatrymiformes, near Gruiformes. The flamingos, which constitute the order Phoenicopteriformes in some classifications, are placed in the Ciconiiformes in this classification, but their relationships are still unknown.… -
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