Scientists have crowned an extinct species of bird as the largest to have ever lived. The newly discovered Vorombe titan, a type of elephant bird, stood more than 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighed up to 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds).
Elephant birds were massive, flightless creatures that lived hundreds of years ago on the island of Madagascar. James Hansford, a zoologist at the Zoological Society of London, discovered V. titan after examining many elephant bird fossils. He used bone measurements to classify new species and calculate their average size—V. titan was the clear winner.
“We don’t know exactly why the birds disappeared," says Hansford. But he hopes his work will help reveal how they died out.