Millions of years ago, the world’s apex predators Forsulaceae The family stayed true to its more common name, the Terror Bird. The smallest descendants of mostly flightless carnivorous dinosaurs were about the size of dogs, but the largest known examples reached nearly 10 feet in height. But now paleontologists have confirmed that a possibly unknown species of fear bird has grown up to 20 percent larger than previously known, according to recently analyzed fossils. But the remains of a pair of tooth marks on the bone indicate that even the apex predator may have occasionally encountered competition.
Terrorbirds are known to have lived during the mid-Eocene and late Pleistocene periods, approximately 43 million to 1 million years ago. Contained at least 20 species Forsulaceae Some family members were estimated to have weighed as much as 770 pounds. Despite its height and weight, the long-eared bird’s anatomy and beak structure suggest that the animal evolved to primarily outrun and eat small prey, about the size of a rabbit. However, recently analyzed fossils provide new insights into the predator and its life.
Research published in the journal Nov. 4 paleontology It shows how much information can be obtained from a single bone fragment. It was first discovered in Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert about 20 years ago, but experts reexamined the left tibiotarsal bone (a bone in the bird’s lower leg similar to the human tibia or shank) and discovered it for the first time in 2023. I confirmed that it belonged to the fear bird. In this case, the team also utilized the following portable scanners: Johns Hopkins University Generates a 3-D model of a fossil that is approximately 12 million years old. At the time, paleontologists estimated the size of the Miocene animal to be 5 to 20 percent larger than known members of the species.
Despite its enormous stature, this particular fearsome bird may have finally found a match in Purusaurus, an extinct South American caiman believed to reach over 42 feet in length. The study’s authors believe that the indentations in the fear bird fossil correspond to giant crocodile ancestors, and were probably created during a battle between the two ancient predators. Either that, or the already dead fear bird provided a snack for the carrion-scavenging Purusaurus.
The area where local fossil hunters discovered the tibiotarsus also provides important new information about where the fearbird has lived for millions of years. talk to new york times On Monday, study co-author Siobhan Cook, a paleontologist at Johns Hopkins University, said the bones “confirm that the fearbird was part of La Venta’s faunal community.” [Colombia] Not temporarily, but for a while. ”
[Related: Giant 500-pound geese once honked around the Australian outback.]
The predator was not confined to the South American region. About 5 million years ago, the appearance of the traversable Isthmus of Panama allowed the island’s once isolated animal species to migrate and interact with those of what is now North America. Great American Biotic Interchange. Cook noted that similar fear bird carcasses have been found as far north as Texas and Florida, indicating that they “weren’t the case.” [just] Birds from Patagonia decide to walk 5,000 miles north. ”
Despite remaining at the top of the food chain for millions more years, the fearbird population began to decline, probably due to increased competition from canids and big cats. But while the original fear bird is long gone, its smaller descendants are still terrifying. Today’s Brazilian farmers often use their closest living relatives, birds. Akaashi Seriemato protect animals from livestock predators and robbers.
