Elephant bird

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/elephant-bird

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Aepyornithiformes
2. What is the habitat?Endemic to Madagascar
3. What was an Elephant Bird and how big was it?Elephant Birds were huge, flightless birds that lived on Madagascar. They could grow up to 10 feet tall and weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
4. Why were Elephant Bird eggs so big?The eggs were the largest of any animal, holding about 2 gallons of liquid. Their size matched the giant birds that laid them.

Ratites: A group of large, flightless birds including ostriches, emus, and kiwis.
Vicariance: The evolutionary separation of a species or group into different populations due to a geological barrier.
Phylogenetic Relationship: The evolutionary history and relationships among species or groups of organisms.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity.