New giant bird species identified 17 years after discovery

In brief

Researchers have identified a new extinct species of ground-dwelling bird, Megapodius rokusi, from a fossil. This fossil, a leg bone, was discovered in Liang Bua cave on Flores Island, Indonesia. It represents the first megapode fossil found in the region called Wallacea, indicating new insights into ancient bird species. The study suggests that the bird was much larger than today's living relatives.