Psilopterus

Psilopterus (Greek for "bare wing") is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid ("terror bird") 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 (Cariama cristata), 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.

Psilopterus
Skull of P. lemoinei in American Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cariamiformes
Family: Phorusrhacidae
Subfamily: Psilopterinae
Genus: Psilopterus
Moreno & Mercerat, 1891
Species
  • P. bachmanni (Moreno & Mercerat, 1891) (type)
  • P. lemoinei (Moreno & Mercerat, 1891)
  • P. affinis (Ameghino, 1899)
  • P. colzecus Tonni & Tambussi, 1988
Synonyms
  • Pelecyornis Ameghino, 1891
  • Staphylornis Mercerat, 1897
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.