What are terror birds?

The so -called "terror birds" are members of the Phorusrhacidae family, groups of large carnivorous birds who were dominant predators in South America from 62 to 2 million years, during the Cenozoic era. These birds, who stood between 1 and 3 meters (3-10 feet), had huge curved beaks made for killing and with ease sent mammals to the size of dogs. Most smaller species and several larger species would be very fast runners, with the highest speeds up to 60 km/h. Fortunately, for our ancestors, terrorist birds were extinct before the spread of people to America across the Bering straight bridge. The biggest findings here point to terrorist birds with a height of 3 m and a weight of 350 kg or more, which is among the largest birds in History. Although terrorist birds are sometimes incorrectly called the biggest bird ever, the largest aepyornithids and dromornithids would approach or exceed their size. The new fossil of a terrorist bird discovered in 2006 in Argentina has the largest bird skull discovered so farKou 71 cm.

It is assumed that terrorist birds grabbed their prey into their beaks, then switched it to the ground and cleaned it unconscious. Then the bird swallowed his prey. This is the feeding technique, which is also common to series, Roadrunners and secretaries of birds. Seriemas are considered the closest living relatives of terror birds and fortunately they are much smaller.

The oldest terrorist birds were called mesembriornithins. These birds were medium size (1-2 m) and gracile legs. Based on their anatomy studies, it is assumed that these birds could be the fastest runninemg of birds at all. The contrast of the length of the legs between terrorist birds is unusual because MESEMBRInithins had very long legs, just like Emus, while another type, Brontornithins were among the most interesting bird legs. Overall, fossil residues of 17 species were found.

Terror birds were a predator number jEdna in South America for tens of millions of years. The duration of their survival is a sign of how successful. In some paleontologists, niches, behavior and anatomy - excessive head, short forearm, long legs - terrorist birds resemble their distant relatives, tyrannosaurs.

When Ithmus Panama was created three million years ago, species from North America and South America could be allowed to be in the case of Great American Interchange. Over a million years, horror birds have lost the position of predatory dominance and extinct.