Re: Giant flightless birds

[Ronald Orenstein <ornstn@inforamp.net>]

At 11:45 PM 11/03/1998 PST, you wrote:
>To the list:
>
>What birds make up the teratorns, phorusrhacoids, ratites (complete with 
>species and subspecies, please)---plus the closest relatives of 
>*Diatryma* and the aforementioned groups that are extant?
>
>Jaime A. Headden

I'm not sure what you are asking for here - the groups you mention are not
related to each other, and the teratorns were not flightless.  Ratites, of
course, still exist (ostrich, emu, cassowaries, rheas, kiwis and, depending
on whom you read, the tinamous, which also fly), as do the seriemas which
are related to the phorusracoids.  The nearest relatives of Diatryma are, I
believe, uncertain, though relationship to cranes has been postulated.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
1825 Shady Creek Court                 
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          mailto:ornstn@inforamp.net