Oxygen is necessary to sustain most terrestrial life. Oxygen is used in cellular respiration and many major classes of organic molecules in living organisms contain oxygen, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and fats, as do the major constituent inorganic compounds of animal shells, teeth, and bone.
From wingtip to wingtip, P. sandersi measured at least 6.4 meters. The wandering albatross, the worldâs largest living bird, has a wingspan of 3.5 meters, and the giant, extinct South American condor, Argentavis magnificens, was right around 6 meters.
The new species, Pelagornis sandersi, had an estimated wingspan of 20 to 24 feet when its feathers are included. This is up to more than twice as big as that of the royal albatross, the largest living flying bird, which has a wingspan of about 11.4 feet. [See Images of Giant Flying Species & Other Huge Birds]