(Picture by Drhoz)

    The largest New Guinea alvarezsaur, the Papuan muppet (Marionia stulta) is a broadly crepuscular montane omnivore. It lives in small family groups ( 'hensons' ) high in the mountains of the island, dwelling at the edges of the forests and venturing out onto the small patches of grassland at dawn and dusk.  In this way, the muppet avoids its chief predator, the Papuan eagle, which is most active in full daylight after the fog lifts.

    Muppets breed in fallen trees and in thick undergrowth. Clutches usually consist of two eggs, and the young mature quickly, fed by their parents and older siblings.

    M. stulta exists in many different colourforms - the wattles under the jaw and the feathers along the sides and back of the head can be quite strikingly pigmented - but genetic evidence suggests they are all still closely related, despite the geographical difficulty presented in travelling from valley to valley.

(Text by Drhoz)