Gastornis xichuanensis

the only known bone of a Chinese species of gastornithid - giant flightless birds similar to the terrorbirds of South America. This species was originally described in 1980 as Zhongyuanus xichuanensis (which is the name on the label at the museum).

For those interested in palaeontology, the Palaeozoological Museum Of China is absolutely outstanding. The museum is on three floors, the lower one for dinosaurs including several fully-mounted skeletons (the displays are a mix of real fossils and casts) and fossil fish, the next floor for more dinosaurs and birds, and the third for mammals. Really fascinating fossils here, although unfortunately all the signage is in Chinese apart for the scientific names.

Visited September 2013.

The interesting thing is that although Gastornis and it's kin - often referred to in popular culture by the junior synonym of Diatryma - are usually portrayed as giant carnivorous birds akin to the unrelated "Terror Birds", it is increasingly apparent further to isotope analysis of their skeletal material and biomechanical data that they were in fact solely vegetarian.