THE CERVANTES EGG AN EARLY MALAGSY TOURIST TO AUSTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract - A large fossil bird's egg discovered near Cervantes in Western Australia is identified as belonging to Aepyornis maximus by its size and eggshell structure. It is the second such egg found in Western Australian Holocene beach dune deposits. Radiocarbon dating of the specimen gives an age of about 2000 years. By comparison with other known rafting events, we suggest that this egg and the Scott River Aepyornis egg both drifted across on oceanic currents from Madagascar and were not brought to Australia by human intervention.

Author(s) LONG, J.A., VICKERS-RICH, P., HIRSH, K., BRAY, E. AND TUNIZ, C. : Part 1
Page Number
39