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Struthionidae
Ostriches
4
Number of resurrected species:
Family
Order
Class
Struthionidae
Struthioniformes
Aves
Description
The Struthionidae consists of the still extant. A typical ostrich is fairly large in size, has a long neck and legs and is flightless. They are herbivorous, feeding on a wide variety of vegetation, seeds and fruits.
Distribution & Fossil evidence
Fossils of ostriches have been found in many places across Africa and Eurasia. The first members of the family possible lived in Europe during the Paleocene and Eocene, like Palaeotis, although the relationship with the family is still questionable.
Species
Several species of extant and extinct ostriches are known, of which the oldest members were small in size, while modern ostriches can grow up to 2.8 meters high!
Included genera
Pachystruthio, Struthio, Orientornis, Palaeotis
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