Imagine a bird that couldn't fit in your living room because its wings were too big. That's exactly what would happen if you tried to bring the Pelagornis sandersi home -- assuming houses and humans existed back then. Scientists have identified the fossils of what could be the largest flying bird ever found. With an estimated 20- to 24-foot wingspan, the extinct P. sandersi was twice the size of today's biggest flying bird, the royal albatross, according to the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in North Carolina.
The viola is hundreds of years old. In fact, some reports say that it is the oldest of the string family. The viola has been utilized as a harmonic (as opposed to melodic) instrument by composers for hundreds of years. This is the main reason that people are less familiar with it than the violin or cello.
Violas can be every bit as agile as the other Strings and since the 19th century viola writing has just as demanding as that for the other string instruments. The viola is the alto voice of the String family. It is larger than the violin, and its lowest note is a perfect 5th lower than the violin. A typical symphony orchestra will have twelve violas seated two to a desk for a large orchestral work. Construction The viola looks like a large violin and in terms of its construction it is more or less the same. In common with all string instruments, there are no fixed dimensions for a viola and both players and makers will have their own preferences.