INVESTIGADORES
BERTELLI Sara Beatriz
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
A gigantic phorusrhacid (Aves: Gruiformes) from the Late Miocene of Patagonia
Autor/es:
BERTELLI, S.; CHIAPPE, L.M.; TAMBUSSI, C.
Lugar:
Mesa, Arizona
Reunión:
Congreso; Sixty-Fifth Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; 2005
Institución organizadora:
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Resumen:
We report the discovery of a new, large phorusrhacid (Aves: Gruiformes) from the Late Miocene of northwestem Patagonia (Argeatina). The new specimen consists of a partial skullandaleft tarsometatosus recovered from continental deposits of theCollon Cura Formation at Comallo, a small village in the Argentine province of Rio Negro. Preliminary comparisoas iadicate that the new specimea is morphologically most sirailar to taxa iacluded within Phorusrhacinae but that it isalsoaaew taxon. Because complete skull s of phorusrbacine birds are very rare, the study of the nearly complete skull of the new "terror bird" is crucial for uaderstaading the evolution of these gigantic birda. Based on the size of the skull and tarsometatarsus,the new fossil is the largest known phorusrhacid?even larger than the massive brontomithines?-and yet one with a lightly built skeleton, well specialized for active hunting. The new specimen also represents the only late Miocene occurreace of Phorusrhacidae from Patagonia and the southemmost record of the group for this time.