They were known for bony ‘teeth’ that lined their jaws, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Its sheer size and telltale beak suggested the creature was a previously unknown species of pelagornithid - an extinct group of giant seabirds believed to be ancestors of pelicans and storks. It was so big they had to remove it using a JCB.ĭr Dan Ksepka, curator of science at Bruce Museum in Connecticut, said: 'The upper wing bone alone was longer than my arm.' The fossil was unearthed in 1983 in South Carolina when construction workers began digging a new terminal at the Charleston International Airport. These giants of the sky occurred all over the globe for tens of millions of years but vanished during the Pliocene - just three million years ago.īut, because it exceeded the 15ft (4.5 metre) wingspan previous studies have claimed is the maximum for birds to fly, the researchers were unsure how it managed to take off and stay aloft.
They were known for bony ‘teeth’ that lined their jaws. Its size and telltale beak suggested the creature was a previously unknown species of pelagornithid - an extinct group of giant seabirds believed to be ancestors of pelicans and storks. Its paper-thin hollow bones, stumpy legs and wing shape made it similar to birds that fly today, and this would have made it awkward when on land. Working from a fossil skull, as well as wing and leg bones, researchers calculated the likely size of the bird and modelled possible flight styles - including flapping and gliding.Įven though it would have weighed up to 180lbs (81.5kg), the researchers said they have no doubt P sandersi flew. It was found when construction workers began digging a new terminal at the Charleston International Airport, and was so big they had to remove it using a JCB. The fossil of the prehistoric flyer was unearthed in 1983, in South Carolina.
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