This week I have a bit of an easy object for you – it’s a species I’ve talked about before, but this is a complete skeleton rather than a single bone:
Any idea what this is the skeleton of?
As usual you can put your thoughts, questions and suggestions in the comments below. Enjoy!
Zygoma 
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsMy guess is a Rodrigues solitaire
These guys are still alive – although we do have a Rodrigues solitaire, might be one for another Friday 😉
I his youth, this bird resembles his ancestors from the dino era more than other birds.
(I would love to have a skeleton of this species in my collection!)
What’s-in a name, anyway?
S/He looks ready for the ANGRY Chicken Dance!
Na Na Ne Ne Na Na Na!
Wish I could see how deep the keel is!
It is very shallow
As Wouter says.
I can’t believe I missed this yesterday.
Those wing bones don’t look made for flying. The overall build, to be honest, seems too heavy for flight.
Now to do proper thinking. As the chap (Alice in Wonderland?) said: some days I sits and thinks; and some days I just sits.
No NatSci scale. About half a metre in height (wild guess based on the tag)? Large eyes. Long neck but not ratite long. Sharp maxilla, so not an anseriform.
Probably all wrong in terms of diagnostics, but I’m still thinking dagnabbit!
Is the wishbone fused to the sternum?
I’m not really sure because I don’t have a skeleton of this species myself, but I have seen pictures of such a sternum without the furcula. So I would say not fused.
Final (?) best guess: seasonally topical?
You’re about right on the size. As Wouter says, the sternum is not fused to the wishbone. If it’s seasonally topical then it’s accidental!
Still, galliform, right?
Nope!
Oh dear. Back to the drawing board.
chook chook chook ,
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.js
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsI think I was wrong. The answer is just clawing to get out. I hope I don’t get skunked on this.
I think I was wrong the first guess. The answer is just clawing to get out. I hope I don’t get skunked on this one.
could it be a Rallidae ?
Not a rail either!
sharp, strong beak, large eyes, the ratio of the wings to legs and large feet, says to me definitely a predatory runner.