Largest eggs of any known vertebrate, and yes, that includes dinosaurs

Several elephant bird species used to roam the forests of Madagascar. The birds stood over 10 feet tall and weighed in at over 1,000 pounds. Their eggs, which measure well in excess of 12 inches and have a volume approximately equal to 150 chicken eggs, were prized as a food resource by Madagascar’s early human settlers. Fewer than 40 intact elephant bird eggs are held in public collections, and the Museum is proud to house two of these incredible specimens.

Garth M. Spellman, PhD

Associate Curator of Ornithology

Andrew Doll, MS

Zoology Collections Manager

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