BRANTA
Other colloquial name(s): Zeus branta, Blue-necked branta
Genus & species: Bratatitan zeus, Brantatitan landvættir
Meaning of: Giant goose, Zeus (King of the gods) & Giant goose, a large bird in Norse mythology
Ancestral creature: Canada goose Branta canadensis
Size: B. zeus 18ft tall, B. landvættir 11ft. tall
Activity cycle: diurnal
Habitat: North American grassland-taiga
Social structure: pair bonded, move in flocks
Diet: grass & other tough plants

The largest grazing animals of North America are the giant brantas, which are descendants of the Canada goose. The largest Branta species, the Zeus branta, equals some of the herbivorous dinosaurs in size. The most common species, the swift, aggressive Blue-necked branta, are closer to ostriches in size.
Unlike flightless birds in the past, brantas retained long, powerfully-muscled wings, although the feathers are much reduced and obviously cannot support them. The wings are used in mating displays, but their real use is to defend against predators. One blow from a branta’s wing can crush a lateovul’s skull, stave in ribs, or snap a leg.
Canada geese had given up migrating as global temperatures rose. The ancestral animal moulted its flight feathers when nesting, and with the disruption of its breeding season, one branch of the family evolved permanent flightlessness. To compensate, the animals became even larger and more aggressive. In the drought era, the early giant geese flourished in the absence of rivals such as specialized ungulates (most of which had been hunted to extinction by the last dregs of humanity). With longer, stronger legs and narrower hips, the giant geese abandoned the dwindling lakes and spread out across the savannah. They proved to be an enormously successful design and there are many varieties, each exploiting slightly different large-herbivores niches and giving the re-evolved grazing mammals stiff competition.

Shown: Zeus branta and Blue-necked branta
Upper right, a sub adult Zeus branta fends off an attacking pair of lateovuls.
Upper left, a female branta defends her huge goslings.