Biology:Bennu heron
Bennu heron | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Representation of the Bennu deity in Egyptian mythology, possibly based on the Bennu heron | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Pelecaniformes |
Family: | Ardeidae |
Genus: | Ardea |
Species: | A. bennuides
|
Binomial name | |
Ardea bennuides Hoch, 1977
|
The Bennu heron (Ardea bennuides) is an extinct, very large heron from what is now the United Arab Emirates at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
Background
![](/wiki/images/thumb/f/f7/Fenix_bennu.jpg/250px-Fenix_bennu.jpg)
Found in 1977, remains of the heron have been dated to 2700–1800 BCE, coinciding with the Umm al-Nar period.[1][2] Based on remains discovered, it was approximately 2 m (6.6 ft) tall and had a wingspan up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft), thus surpassing the size of the largest living species in the heron family, the goliath heron.[3] It may have been the inspiration for the Bennu deity in Egyptian mythology, hence the specific name.[1]
Extinction
It has been speculated that the Bennu heron went extinct because of wetland degradation. Another likely cause of their extinction would be humans overhunting their population.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hoch, Ella (1977). "Reflections on prehistoric life at Umm An-Nar (Trucial Oman) based on faunal remains from the third millennium B.C.". in M. Taddei. Fourth International Conference of the Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Western Europe. pp. 589–638.
- ↑ Potts, D.T. (2001). "Before the Emirates: an Archaeological and Historical Account of Developments in the Region c. 5000 BC to 676 AD". in Al Abed, Ibrahim; Hellyer, Peter. The United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective. London, UK: Trident Press. ISBN 978-1-900724-47-0. http://www.seaturtle.org/PDF/PottsDT_2001_InUnitedArabEmiratesANewPerspective_p28-69.pdf.
- ↑ Callahan, D. (2014). A History of Birdwatching in 100 Objects. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 15. ISBN 978-1408-1-8618-3.
- ↑ Turvey, Samuel T. (2009-05-28) (in en). Holocene Extinctions. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-157998-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=mbU-F42JU1AC.
Wikidata ☰ Q4889919 entry
![]() | Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennu heron.
Read more |