Showing posts with label Madagascar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madagascar. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The $101,813 egg.

Partly fossilized, laid by an elephant bird, auctioned recently.

"Madagascar's giant, flightless elephant birds were once a common sight on the island, certainly up until the 17th century. It is generally believed that the elephant bird's extinction resulted from human activity, perhaps not surprising when one of their giant eggs would have fed an entire family."

Monday, February 25, 2013

Scientists think they've found the lost continent of Mauritia, underneath the Indian Ocean.

It was once part of the supercontinent known as Rodinia, which looked like this as it was breaking up 750 million years ago:



See Mauritia in there between what was on its way to becoming India and what became Madagascar? How do they know it's Mauritia? According to the linked article, it has to do with zircon.



It all fits together.