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November 26, 2012

Giant Eocene Bird Was Not a Ruthless Killer

Michelle Warwicker, BBC News


AP Photo

Footprints believed to have been made by the giant bird Diatryma indicate that it was a "gentle herbivore" and not a fierce carnivore, scientists say.

A team of researchers from Washington, US, examined tracks uncovered in a landslide in 2009.

Previous investigations have suggested the giant bird was a carnivorous predator or scavenger.

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TAGGED: fossils, herbivores, birds, Eocene

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