This is bird note.

40 to 50 million years ago, when the climate of the Antarctic was mild and seasonal,

some of the largest birds ever known flew and hunted over its waters.

Fossils found across all continents show that most had wingspans of more than 12 feet.

They're known as bony-tooth birds, since Odin top terrigi formes is a bit of a mouthful. Boney-tooth birds had slender wings and long heads,

reminiscent of an albatross.

The tops and bottoms of their slim beaks were evenly studded

with narrow interlocking

vertical teeth up to an inch long. They weren't true teeth but actually

outgrowths of the beak. As the birds flew low over the sea, they likely hunted squid and fish, skimming them right off the water surface and impaling them with that scary-looking beak.

The largest known species had a 21 foot wingspan, the longest wings of any bird in Earth's history.

Boney-tooth birds ranged across the oceans and persisted for 60 million years

until just 2.5 million years ago.

Antarctica changed a lot in that time, from a moderate climate surrounded by

legions of enormous snagel-toothed birds to the icy desert we know today. For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein. you're