Teratornithidae
Skeleton of Teratornis merriami in the La Brea Tar Pits Museum
The Teratornithidae are a family of giant, vulture -like birds that occurred from the late Miocene to the Pleistocene in North and South America. With Argentavis magnificens according to current knowledge, the largest flying bird that ever lived among the Teratornithidae. You were asked earlier than subfamily Teratornithinae to Neuweltgeiern. Since the morphological differences to the Neuweltgeiern but just as large as that between the most belonging to an order of bird families, they are now considered as a separate family. In addition to the Neuweltgeiern Teratornithidae have similarities with the storks and the Ruderfüßern.
Probably the Teratornithidae developed in the west wind zone of the Late Miocene in southern South America, which was then further north than today handed, as the southern Andes were not so high. Campbell and Tonni suspect that they were because of their beak anatomy not able to tear pieces of meat from carrion and that they have devoured like owls, small, self- captured prey whole. Most scientists, however, see them as scavengers, studied the similar today vultures over open grassland sailing for carrion. As to three million years ago the land bridge of Panama, the Teratornithidae populated in the course of the great American Faunentauschs also North America.
Genera
The best known is Teratornithidengattung Teratornis from North America, which had a wingspan from 3.5 to 3.8 meters and was sitting 75 inches high. Of this genus the fossil remains have been found of more than 100 copies in the La Brea Tar Pits. Argentavis reached a wingspan of 7 to 7.5 meters and was 1.5 meters high. Its weight is estimated to be 72 kg. He lived in the late Miocene and the Pliocene in South America. Fossils have been found in Argentina. Two other genera, Aiolornis and Cathartornis are known only from a few bones. Aiolornis reached a wingspan of five meters and had a very big beak. He lived in North America. Cathartornis is known only from the Teerguben of La Brea. 2002, the period of existence of the Teratornithidae was extended by the discovery of the oldest Teratornithiden Taubatornis campbelli from the upper Oligocene of São Paulo (Brazil ) far down. Taubatornis was much smaller than other genera of the family and shows many similarities with Neuweltgeiern.
Swell
- Alan Feduccia: The Origin and Evolution of the Birds. 2nd edition, Yale University Press, New Haven / London, 1999, ISBN 0300078617