Gastornis

Gastornis Temporal range: Paleocene – mid Eocene, Selandian–Lutetian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Mounted skeleton of G. gigantea
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	†Gastornithiformes
Family:	†Gastornithidae Fürbringer, 1888
Genus:	†Gastornis Hébert, 1855 (vide Prévost, 1855)
Type species
†Gastornis parisiensis Hébert, 1855
Other species
†G. gigantea (Cope, 1876) †G. sarasini Schaub, 1929 †G. geiselensis Fischer, 1978 †G. russeli Martin, 1992 †G. xichuanensis (Hou, 1980) †G. laurenti Mourer-Chauviré & Bourdon, 2020[1]
Synonyms
Diatryma Cope, 1876 Barornis Marsh, 1894 Omorhamphus Sinclair, 1928 Zhongyuanus Hou, 1980

Gastornis is an extinct genus of large, flightless birds that lived during the mid-Paleocene to mid-Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia and North America, with the North American specimens formerly assigned to the genus Diatryma.

Gastornis species were very large birds that were traditionally thought to have been predators of various smaller mammals, such as ancient, diminutive equids. However, several lines of evidence, including the lack of hooked claws (in known Gastornis footprints), studies of their beak structure and isotopic signatures of their bones, have caused scientists to speculate that these birds were potentially herbivorous, feeding on tough plant material and seeds. Gastornis is, generally, agreed to be related to the Galloanserae, the group containing waterfowl and gamebirds.