The ostrich is a large, flightless bird that is found natively in Africa. Ostriches are the largest living bird species, standing up to 9 feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds. They are known for their long legs, long neck, and speed, being able to run up to 43 miles per hour. Ostriches also have a long history of domestication and use by humans. But where did this iconic African bird originally come from? Understanding the evolutionary origins and history of dispersal of the ostrich can give us insights into the prehistoric environments and climates of Africa.
When and where did ostriches first evolve?
Ostriches belong to a group of flightless birds called ratites, which also includes emus, rheas, cassowaries, and kiwis. The ratites are an ancient group that evolved before the separation of the modern continents, when the southern supercontinent Gondwana was still intact. The oldest ostrich fossils date back to the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs, around 35-30 million years ago, in modern day Europe. These early ostrich ancestors likely originated when Africa was still connected to Eurasia as part of a larger Paleogene world.
More ostrich fossils from the early and mid Miocene have been found across Eurasia and Africa. By the late Miocene, around 10 million years ago, ostriches were present in their approximate modern range across Africa. The living genus Struthio likely evolved between 15-10 million years ago during the Miocene. The earliest undisputed ostrich fossils in Africa are 9 million year old Struthio coppensi fossils found in Namibia.
So while the ostrich lineage originated in Europe over 30 million years ago, the living species evolved in Africa by the late Miocene. Africa’s open landscapes allowed large flightless birds like the ostrich to thrive.
How did ostriches spread across Africa?
Ostriches are well adapted to living in the arid, open environments that dominate much of Africa. Their long, powerful legs allow them to cover great distances at high speeds to find scattered resources. Their wings are used like rudders to help change direction while running. And their ability to go for long periods without water by getting moisture from plants and efficiently conserving water helps them thrive even in hyper-arid deserts.
The expansion of savanna grasslands and arid environments likely facilitated the dispersal of ostriches across Africa starting in the Miocene:
Miocene (23-5 million years ago)
– Expansion of C4 grasses leads to more open environments
– Aridification of interior Africa
– Struthio ancestors spread across north, east, and southern Africa
Pliocene (5-2.5 million years ago)
– Continued expansion of savannas
– Dispersal across the Sahara (no longer a barrier with more open terrain)
– Struthio ancestors found from South Africa to the Mediterranean
Pleistocene Ice Ages (2.5 million-11,700 years ago)
– More grasslands and arid environments during glacial periods
– Contraction during humid interglacials
– Extinct giant ostrich species evolve like Struthio dmanisensis
– Ancestors of modern ostriches become widespread in Africa
Holocene (11,700 years ago-present)
– Rise of modern environments and vegetation
– Extinction of giant ostriches
– Modern ostrich (Struthio camelus) arises
– Still found across most of Africa besides dense rainforest
So ostriches spread across Africa tracking the expansion of open, arid environments and grasslands over the last 10 million years. Major global climatic shifts like ice ages facilitated expansion during arid glacial periods and contractions in wetter interglacials. Throughout these changes ostriches remained well adapted to persist across Africa.
When were ostriches first domesticated?
Ostriches have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years, valued for their feathers, eggs, skin, and meat. Some of the earliest evidence of ostrich domestication comes from ancient Egypt. Ostrich eggshell fragments and rock art depicting ostriches penned by humans suggests they were domesticated by at least the 5th Dynasty of Egypt around 2450 BCE.
Feathers were popular fashion items among Egyptians and ostrich feathers are depicted prominently in hieroglyphs, indicating their cultural significance. Egyptians established dedicated hunting expeditions traveling up to 100 miles to obtain wild ostrich eggs and feathers for trade and use, indicating limited early domestication.
There is also evidence of early ostrich domestication in Mesopotamia slightly later around 2000 BCE based on archaeological remnants of eggshells and depictions on ceramics. The use of ostriches expanded under the Akkadian empire. By 1500 BCE there is written record in the Ancient Near East of ostriches pulling war chariots and their continued ritual significance.
So some of the earliest concrete evidence of ostrich domestication dates to Ancient Egypt and the Middle East around 4,500 years ago. However, humans may have utilized ostriches even earlier during the Stone Age in Africa. Ostrich eggshell fragments have been found at Stone Age sites in Africa dating back over 100,000 years ago. Tribes would have hunted ostriches for food and used their eggs as containers. More regular use or capture may have started with nomadic pastoralists in North Africa over 7,000 years ago before the earliest recorded evidence of penning and ritual significance.
Key points on early ostrich domestication:
- Earliest recorded evidence is from Ancient Egypt around 2450 BCE
- Also domesticated in Mesopotamia by 2000 BCE
- Utilized for feathers, eggs, skins, chariot pulling, and rituals
- May have been used and penned earlier in Africa during Stone Age
Where are ostriches found today?
Ostriches are found natively in Africa, where their range stretches from South Africa in the south to Egypt and Sudan in the north. They inhabit the savannas, grasslands, and deserts of Sub-Saharan Africa but avoid dense rainforest. Five extant subspecies are recognized today across Africa:
Northern African ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus)
– Native to North Africa between Morocco and Egypt
– Historically found in the Middle East but went extinct there in the mid-20th century
– Smallest subspecies at up to 6.6 feet tall
Masai ostrich (S.c. massaicus)
– Native to East Africa in Kenya and Tanzania
– Intermediate in size between the small North African and larger Southern African races
Southern African ostrich (S.c. australis)
– Native to southern Africa especially South Africa, Namibia, Botswana
– The largest subspecies, standing up to 9 feet tall
Somali ostrich (S.c. molybdophanes)
– Native to the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan
– Distinguished by its blueish neck
Arabian ostrich (S.c. syriacus)
– Historically native to the Arabian Peninsula
– Went extinct in the wild around 1960
– Still exists in captivity
Besides these wild African populations, feral ostriches have been introduced outside their native range around the world, including populations in Australia and the Americas. Domesticated ostriches are also still farmed around the world for their feathers, skin, and meat.
So while they originated and evolved in Africa, ostriches can now be found on farms and where introduced in the wild on 4 continents. But their evolutionary homeland remains Africa.
Conclusion
Ostriches are a fascinating and iconic species of flightless bird adapted to running quickly across open terrain. They originated over 30 million years ago in Europe before ancestors to the living species Struthio evolved in Africa during the Miocene 5-15 million years ago. They spread across Sub-Saharan Africa tracking the expansion of grasslands and arid environments they are so well adapted to through successive ice ages and climatic shifts.
Ostriches were first harnessed by ancient humans at least 4,500 years ago in Egypt and the Middle East, but our interactions with them may stretch back over 100,000 years into the Stone Age. While naturally found only in the wilds of Africa, ostriches can now be found across the world as introduced exotic species and livestock on farms. But the evolutionary heartland and center of diversity for ostriches remains Africa.