Casuariidae


The bird family Casuariidae has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary and the emu.
All living members of the family are very large flightless birds native to Australia-New Guinea, though the extinct potential member Hypselornis was native to India. The characteristics of the family are those of its members.

Species

The fossil record of casuariforms is interesting, but not very extensive.
Some Australian fossils initially believed to be from emus were recognized to represent a distinct genus, Emuarius,
which had a cassowary-like skull and femur and an emu-like lower leg and foot.
A Pliocene Indian ratite, Hypselornis, has been classified as a casuariid based on its similarities to modern cassowaries and emus. However, no recent studies have been performed on these remains.

Footnotes