Rosmana A.P | Science | Scientific Facts

"Ratit" is the name of a birds group, "Ratit" name was taken from Greek, "Ratitae" which means "unflyable" birds. This birds group was named "Ratit" because they can't fly. They can't fly because their wingss are too small to help them to fly. Beside that, they have a large body which may reach 4 meters high and have 300 kilograms weight.

We know that the dinosaurs are extinct together with almost all of the giant reptiles around 65 million years ago. No one know why the dinosaurs extinct. But, because of the dinosaur extinction, many animals especially birds got some advantages. Some of them even lost its flying ability and became a giant unflyable land birds because their foes were extinct, that's how "Ratit" was born and why around 65 million until 55 million years ago, "Ratit" lives almost everywhere on the earth surface.

Some "Ratits" are carnivorous birds, they are equipped with many weapons for hunts like a sharp giant beak and large claws. These "Ratit" even can hunts for it's food from a large mammal alone. These carnivorous "Ratit" dominate the last "Tertier Era". But, they suddenly extinct before the "Pleistosen Era" and giving a way for mammals to develop.

Not all "Ratits" are carnivorous, some of them are herbivorous. Most of the herbivorous "Ratit" found in New Zealand, Australia, they are the largest "Ratit" ever known. These kind of "Ratits" appear around 2 million years ago. They have a long and strong neck and also strong legs. Most of these kind of "Ratit" are extinct now because they were hunt by humans around one thousand years ago. At that time, Polinesian has reach and landed on Australia. Then, they hunt them for food because these herbivorous "Ratits" are a slow birds. Beside that, these herbivorous "Ratit" aren't have any protection to protect themselves. Then, around two hundred years ago they become extinct.

Now, many "Ratits" have been extinct. Humans acts have make many of them are in danger and extinct. Now, only a few "Ratit" that still lives. But, most of them are still in danger and just have a few population. Some of them are Kasuari from Indonesia, African Ostrich from Africa, and Kiwi from New Zealand. They are just a few example "Ratit" that are in danger. Everyone must protect them.

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