Bennu heron
| Bennu heron | |
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_-_TIMEA.jpg)
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| Representation of the Bennu deity in Egyptian mythology, possibly based on the Bennu heron | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Genus: | Ardea |
| Species: | †A. bennuides
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| Binomial name | |
| †Ardea bennuides Hoch, 1977
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The Bennu heron (Ardea bennuides) is an extinct, very large heron from what is now the United Arab Emirates at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
Background
Found in 1977, remains of the heron have been dated to 2700–1800 BCE, coinciding with the Umm al-Nar period.[1][2] Based on remains discovered, it was approximately 2 m (6.6 ft) tall and had a wingspan up to 2.7 m (8.9 ft), thus surpassing the size of the largest living species in the heron family, the goliath heron.[3] It may have been the inspiration for the Bennu deity in Egyptian mythology, hence the specific name.[1]
Extinction
It has been speculated that the Bennu heron went extinct because of wetland degradation. Another likely cause of their extinction would be humans overhunting their population.[4]
References
- ^ a b Hoch, Ella (1977). "Reflections on prehistoric life at Umm An-Nar (Trucial Oman) based on faunal remains from the third millennium B.C.". In M. Taddei (ed.). South Asian Archaeology 1977. Fourth International Conference of the Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Western Europe. pp. 589–638.
- ISBN 978-1-900724-47-0.
- ISBN 978-1408-1-8618-3.
- ISBN 978-0-19-157998-1.
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