New research reveals the origin of Australia’s extinct flightless giants, the mihirung birds

Australia’s living flightless birds - the emu and close relative the cassowary - once roamed alongside much larger birds that resembled dinosaurs.

These huge creatures are known as mihirungs, based on the Aboriginal term for “giant bird”.

The mihirungs not only reached much larger sizes than emus, cassowaries, ostriches, kiwis and kin (known collectively as ratites), but were much more intimidating in appearance. Unlike the small-headed ratites, they had massive skulls, with sail-like bills.