Locals can thank their lucky stars they are alive during the Holocene and not any other epoch. Imagine running into a 7-foot-tall, 380-pound flightless bird while huffing it up Racehorse Falls.
But that threat was only relevant some 60 million years ago, when the Diatryma roamed the area. A fossil of the bird’s footprint was discovered by geologists after a January 2009 landslide in the Mount Baker foothills, according to a display at Western Washington University.
The 1,200-pound slab was delivered via helicopter to the university in July 2010. Campus visitors can view the fossil on the first floor of the Environmental Studies building.
The track, discovered by Keith Kemplin and George Mustoe, excited scientists because it was the first and only evidence of the bird on the West Coast of North America. Near-complete skeletons have been found in Wyoming, New Mexico and Europe, according to a Western article.
Scientists dispute whether the Diatryma was a fearsome predator or a gentle giant. The big bird was widely thought to have eaten smaller mammals. But recent evidence suggests the Diatryma was a plant-eater. The lack of a hooked beak and sharp claws, and its inability to run fast, point to a vegetarian diet. The WWU fossil supports this theory, showing the bird had short, triangular nails and a fleshy heel pad to support its weight.
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Audra Anderson is CDN’s assistant editor; reach her at audraanderson@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 115.
