| Dryornis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cathartiformes |
| Family: | Cathartidae |
| Genus: | † Dryornis Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 |
| Type species | |
| †Dryornis pampeanus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 | |
| Other species | |
| |
Dryornis (meaning "tree bird"), also called the Argentinian vulture, is an extinct genus of cathartid (New World vulture), known from Argentina. [1] The genus contains two species, D. pampeanus and D. hatcheri. [2]
Dryornis was first described in 1891 by Argentine paleontologists Francisco Moreno and Alcides Mercerat, the type species being D. pampeanus, [4] based on the distal portion of a right humerus and a right femur that was supposedly part of the same individual, [5] though it has since been referred to the phorusrhacid Mesembriornis milneedwardsi. [6] [7] The fossils had been collected from the Pliocene age deposits of the Monte Hermoso Formation in Buenos Aires, Argentina and have since been deposited at the Museo de La Plata under specimen number MLP 20-169. [5] Between 1896 and 1899, the American Princeton University dispatched several expeditions to the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Santa Cruz, Argentina to recover fossils of taxa previously described by paleontologists like Moreno, Mercerat, and Florentino Ameghino. [8] [2] These expeditions were led by notable fossil collector John Bell Hatcher, who in 1899, unearthed a fragmentary left humerus that was later referred to the "terror bird" Phorusrhacos in 1932. [9] This humerus was deposited at the Yale Peabody Museum under catalogue number YPM-PVVU 15866. [2] It remained unstudied until 2022, when Argentine paleontologist Federico J. Degrange noticed its true affinities and described it as a new species of Dryornis, D. hatcheri. [2]
D. pampeanus was only known from the type specimen until a 2021 paper described an individual preserving a: right pectoral girdle, articulated partial right forelimb, incomplete right scapula, and fragments from the sternum and tibiotarsus. The paper also assigned an isolated distal left ulna and another specimen preserving an incomplete right ulna and proximal right radius fragment. All of the fossils had been collected from the La Estafeta Beach in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina and were from the Late Pliocene aged Chapadmalal Formation. The fossils allowed more detailed analysis of the species’ phylogeny and revealed many novel diagnostic characteristics for the species. [5]
Dryornis represents the largest known cathartiform other than the Teratornithidae. Analysis of the known fossil materials suggests that it had a body mass of 26 kg, 57% greater than Vultur grypus (Andean condor) and 94% greater than Cathartes aura (turkey vulture). Several giant genera of extinct birds are known, with some birds like the pseudo toothed Pelagornis at 16-29 kg and the giant teratorn being the largest known bird at 70-80 kg. Dryornis is also distinguished from other cathartids in its skeletal anatomy. The sternum is much more pneumatized than that of other cathartids, likely an adaptation for its size and flight capabilities.
Dryornis would have been a scavenger, and the only such predator in its ecosystem. [5]
In their phylogenetic analyses, Degrange et al. (2021) recovered Dryornis as a member of the Cathartidae and sister taxon to Coragyps + Cathartes. It was more closely related to vultures then to condors. [5]
| Cathartidae |
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Cathartidae, known commonly as New World vultures or condors, are a family of birds of prey consisting of seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in warm and temperate areas of the Americas. They are known as "New World" vultures to distinguish them from Old World vultures, with which the Cathartidae does not form a single clade despite the two being similar in appearance and behavior as a result of convergent evolution.
Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct family of large carnivorous flightless birds that were among the largest apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era; their conventionally accepted temporal range covers from 53 to 0.1 million years (Ma) ago.
Phorusrhacos is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited South America during the Miocene epoch. Phorusrhacos was one of the dominant land predators in South America at the time it existed. It is thought to have lived in woodlands and grasslands.
Titanis is a genus of phorusrhacid, an extinct family of large, predatory birds, in the order Cariamiformes that inhabited the United States during the Pliocene and earliest Pleistocene. The first fossils were unearthed by amateur archaeologists Benjamin Waller and Robert Allen from the Santa Fe River in Florida and were named Titanis walleri by ornithologist Pierce Brodkorb in 1963, the species name honoring Waller. The holotype material is fragmentary, consisting of only an incomplete right tarsometatarsus and phalanx, but comes from one of the largest phorusrhacid individuals known. In the years following the description, many more isolated elements have been unearthed from sites from other areas of Florida, Texas, and California. It was classified in the subfamily Phorusrhacinae, which includes some of the last and largest phorusrhacids like Devincenzia and Kelenken.
Andalgalornis is a genus of flightless predatory birds of the extinct family Phorusrhacidae that lived in Argentina. The type and only species is A. steulleti.
Brontornis is an extinct genus of giant bird that inhabited Argentina during the Early to Middle Miocene. Its taxonomic position is highly controversial, with authors alternatively considering it to be a cariamiform, typically a phorusrhacid or an anserimorph.
Megapaloelodus is an extinct genus of stem flamingo of the family Palaelodidae. Megapaloelodus is primarily known from Miocene America, from South Dakota and Oregon in the north to Argentina in the south, but the species Megapaloelodus goliath was found in Europe. Additionally, one unnamed species was discovered in Miocene sediments from Namibia. Due to a lack of skull material, little can be said about the ecology of Megapaloelodus. Species of this genus are typically larger than those of Palaelodus and appear to have inhabited similar brackish lake environments. Additionally, they may have been capable of "locking" their legs in a standing position.
Palaeospheniscus is an extinct genus of penguins belonging to the subfamily Palaeospheniscinae. These penguins are apparently not closely related to the modern genus Spheniscus.
Palaeospheniscus bergi is a species of the extinct penguin genus Palaeospheniscus. It stood about 60 to 75 centimetres high in life, or somewhat smaller on average than the extant African penguin.
Mesembriornis is a genus of intermediate-sized phorusrhacids that grew up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height. They represent a well-distinct lineage of terror birds, differing from the massive large groups and the smaller Psilopterinae. In general proportions, they most resembled the Patagornithinae which flourished somewhat earlier, mainly to the south of the range of Mesembriornis. Fossils of the terror bird have been found in Montehermosan deposits of the Monte Hermoso Formation, as well as the Andalgala Formation and Chapadmalal Formation in Argentina.
Scalabrinitherium is an extinct genus of mammals of the family Macraucheniidae. Fossils of this animal were found among the fossils of prehistoric xenarthrans in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina.
Gastornithiformes were an extinct order of giant flightless fowl with fossils found in North America, Eurasia, possibly Australia. Members of Gastornithidae were long considered to be a part of the order Gruiformes. However, the traditional concept of Gruiformes has since been shown to be polyphyletic.
Paraphysornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited Brazil during Late Oligocene or Early Miocene epochs. Although not the tallest phorusrhacid, Paraphysornis was a notably robust bird, having short and robust tarsal bones not suited for pursuit hunting.
Physornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds", most closely related to Paraphysornis, that lived in Argentina. The type species is P. fortis. It lived during the Middle to Late Oligocene (Deseadan). Few fossils are known, but the available material suggests that Physornis was one of the largest phorusrhacids.
Devincenzia is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds in the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds" that lived during the Early Miocene (Deseadan) Fray Bentos Formation of Uruguay and Late Miocene (Huayquerian) Ituzaingó Formation to Early Pliocene (Montehermosan) of Argentina. The type species D. pozzi was formerly known as Onactornis pozzi. It stood about 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) tall, making it one of the largest Phorusrhacids and carnivorous birds known.
Patagornis is a genus of extinct flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae. Known as "terror birds", these lived in what is now Argentina during the Early and Middle Miocene; the Santa Cruz Formation in Patagonia contains numerous specimens. Patagornis was an agile, medium sized Patagornithine and was likely a pursuit predator.
Andrewsornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds" that lived in Oligocene Argentina. Fossils have been found in the Sarmiento Formation, and possibly the Agua de la Piedra Formation.
Psilopterus is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid from the Middle Oligocene to possibly the Late Pleistocene of Argentina and Uruguay. Compared to other phorusrhacids, members of the genus are both relatively gracile and diminutive, and include the smallest known species of terror bird: with the head raised P. bachmanni was 70–80 centimeters (2.3–2.6 ft) in height and weighed about 5 kilograms (11 lb), while the largest members of the genus were only about 8 kilograms (18 lb). The birds resemble the modern cariama, except with a heavier build and considerably smaller wings. The strong morphological similarity between the claws of the predatory cariama and Psilopterus, both of which are sharp, curved, and laterally compressed, may indicate they were used to strike prey. Tonni and Tambussi also suggested that, in contrast to the other, larger terror birds, Psilopterus could use their claws to climb trees, and could even fly, but this has been rejected in more recent literature. Fossil finds in Uruguay indicate the genus may have survived until 96,040 ± 6,300 years ago, millions of years after the larger phorusrhacids became extinct.
Llallawavis scagliai is a large, extinct predatory bird from Pliocene Argentina. Its fossil is the most complete fossil of a phorusrhacid yet found.
Mathilde Dolgopol de Sáez was an Argentine vertebrate paleontologist. She has “the distinction of being the first female vertebrate paleontologist in Latin America.”
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