birds (University of California Museum of Paleontology). Examples of well-known Paleognathe birds include ostriches and kiwis (University of California Museum of Paleontology). This group is further divided into two groups, the tinamiformes and the ratites (University of California Museum of Paleontology). Flightless birds that are not found in superorder Palaeognathae are classified as Neognathae, another superorder which includes penguins, puffins and rails (University of California Museum of Paleontology)
Ratites are classified as a group of flightless birds, including ostriches, emus, cassowaries, and the now extinct elephant birds. Birds use flight as a way to escape predators, find mates, attain food, and migration, which raises the question, how did the ancestors of ratites re-locate from one landmass to another without the ability to fly? It was originally thought that there was a flightless common ancestor, but the closest relatives of the ratites are the flying South American Tinamous family
Imagine strolling through one of Rhode Island’s lovely parks or woodlands on a fine summer afternoon; now imagine the idyll is suddenly shattered by the high pitched cry and slashing claws of a giant bird. If this sounds absurd, think again; emu attacks are now a very real threat to Rhode Islanders. Emus are large flightless birds found primarily in Australia. They can grow to be seven feet tall, and mature birds have been known to breathe fire. These normally antipodal avians were introduced to
Differences Between the Emu, Rhea, and Ostrich Emu, Rhea, Ostrich… these are the names of three of the five flightless birds in the ratite family. These three birds all look strikingly similar except for their size, but is that really the only difference? Although their size is an extreme factor in their life they have several other differences. The three main differences between the emu, rhea, and ostrich are their habitat, their predators and defense, and how they raise their young. Before going
In the Land Down Under, or Australia, there is a massive, flightless bird called a Cassowary. This ratite has black feathers with a bright blue head and neck. This shy bird may appear appealing, but its fight side of its brain is far larger than its flight side. The Cassowary is thought to be the utmost dangerous bird in the world. The Cassowary can murder any predator with one quit kick (Garbus n. pag). Therefore, a good name for a pet Cassowary would be Charles Manson because they are both bloodthirsty