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Phantoms of the Rainforest The genus Casuarius

Phantoms of the Rainforest The genus Casuarius. Mathurin Jacques Brisson. Born: April 30 th , 1723 Died: June 23 rd ,1806. Nomenclature. Emeu Kesuari or Suwari Dromaius – fleet of foot Casuarius – chance, fortune Seram Cassowary Southern Cassowary. Cornelius Houtmann. Java 1596

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Phantoms of the Rainforest The genus Casuarius

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  1. Phantoms of the RainforestThe genus Casuarius

  2. Mathurin Jacques Brisson Born: April 30th, 1723 Died: June 23rd,1806

  3. Nomenclature • Emeu • Kesuari or Suwari • Dromaius – fleet of foot • Casuarius – chance, fortune • Seram Cassowary • Southern Cassowary

  4. Cornelius Houtmann • Java 1596 • Amsterdam 1597 • Clusius 1605

  5. She was a phantom of delightwhen she first gleamed upon my sightA lovely apparition sentto be a moment’s ornament

  6. Common ancestors • 110 mya Ratites and Tinamous diverge • 90 mya Emuaries diverge from Ostrich/Rhea line • 80 mya Emuaries diverge from Moas • 75 mya Ostrich and Rhea diverge

  7. Recent events • 45 mya Emuaries and Kiwis diverge • 25 mya Cassowaries and Emus diverge • 1 mya New Guinea complete • 8 kya Last AUS/NG landbridge ends

  8. Casuarius casuarius20 named subspecies

  9. Casuarius unappendiculatus12 named subspecies

  10. Casuarius bennetti16 named subspecies

  11. Species distribution

  12. Next to nothing • Lack of information about unappendiculatus • Joan Bentrupperbaumer – C. c. johnsoni • Cliff & Dawn Frith – C. c. johnsoni • Crome & Moore – C. c. johnsoni • Andy Mack – C. bennetti • Helen Fortune Hopkins – C. bennetti

  13. Physiology • Ancestors flew • Pneumatic bones • Rudimentary wing • No keeled sternum • Three toes • Palaeognathic pallet • Casque

  14. Feathers & Pterylosis • Double feather unique to Cassowary and Emu • 7 remiges, 5 secondaries and 2 metacarpals (Gadow, 1888) • 6 spines • Claw • Apteria under wing and elsewhere

  15. Biology • Precocial • Monotypic • Male alone sits on eggs, hatches and cares for young • Female is probably often polyandrous • Omnivorous • Adult at 3 years • Can live about 30 years, record is 38 years

  16. Size • Casuarius casuarius – 1.4 to 1.7m • Casuarius unappendiculatus – 1.5 to 1.8m • Casuarius bennetti – 1.0 to 1.4m

  17. Precocial

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