The giant bird once dominated the Antarctic sky 50 million years ago

Argentina researchers have reported finding fossils of a prehistoric giant bird with the largest wingspan ever recorded living about 50 million years ago in Antarctica.

In the study published in the Journal of Biology of Biology published on May 18, scientists said that this giant bird belongs to pelagornithid , a giant extinct seabird family, with hard bone-shaped teeth.

Artwork of giant pelagornithid bird.(Source: livescience.com).

Director of La Pampa Natural Science Museum, Marcos Cenizo, said this is the largest pelagornithid species found.

Its wing spreads over 6.4 meters and its wing shape allows them to fly long distances through the ocean.

However, the new specimen identified above is quite light compared to its stature, about 30-35kg.

Specimens of pelagornithid birds.(Source: Wikipedia Commons).

According to experts studying Antarctica, there are two species of pelagornithid in the continent, one of which is 5 meters tall and the other up to 7 meters tall.

This bird can grow to a gigantic size about 50 million years ago, when the ocean temperature is warm and food is abundant.