Apteribis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ApteribisTemporal range: Late Quaternary
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Threskiornithidae |
| Subfamily: | Threskiornithinae |
| Genus: | †Apteribis Olson & Wetmore, 1976 |
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Apteribis was a type of flightless bird that is now extinct. These birds were a kind of ibis and lived only on the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. They couldn't fly, which made them unique.
Where Did Apteribis Live?
Scientists have found bones of Apteribis on the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Long ago, these islands were part of a much larger island called Maui Nui. About 200,000 years ago, the ocean level rose. This caused Maui Nui to break apart into the smaller islands we see today.
Experts believe Apteribis birds lived only on Maui Nui. They likely lived on the forest floor. Because they couldn't fly, they sometimes got stuck in lava tubes. These birds might have eaten many land snails on Maui Nui.
How Apteribis Evolved
Scientists studied feathers from an Apteribis found on Lanai. They found that Apteribis was related to ibises from the Americas. These are birds in the group called Eudocimus.
The studies also showed that Apteribis might have been brown and beige. This color is similar to young Eudocimus ibises. This suggests that Apteribis became flightless and got its colors by a process called paedomorphosis. This means they kept some features of their younger ancestors into adulthood.
Types of Apteribis Species
Scientists have named two main types of Apteribis:
- †A. glenos (Moloka'i flightless ibis) – named by Olson & Wetmore in 1976.
- †A. brevis (Maui flightless ibis) – named by Olson & James in 1991.
The first main example of A. glenos was found at the Moʻomomi dunes. Other bones were found at Ilio Point and Kalaupapa peninsula.
Fossils found on Maui suggest there was a third type of Apteribis. This bird was generally bigger than A. brevis. It lived in lower areas on Maui. Scientists call it the "Maui lowland apteribis." Another very well-preserved Apteribis was found on Lanai. Scientists have not yet given it a species name.
