phorusrhacine

Discovered in Miocene rocks of Comallo, Argentina, it appears to be a phorusrhacine closely related to Devincenzia, another of those obscure taxa known from pretty good remains.

Archive 2006-10-01 Darren Naish 2006

Patagornis and the giant phorusrhacine were predicted to have running speeds of 14 metres per second (about 50 km/h) while Mesembriornis had a ridiculous predicted running speed of 27 metres per second (about 97 km/h).

More on phorusrhacids: the biggest, the fastest, the mostest out-of-placest Darren Naish 2006

Patagornis and the giant phorusrhacine were predicted to have running speeds of 14 metres per second (about 50 km/h) while Mesembriornis had a ridiculous predicted running speed of 27 metres per second (about 97 km/h).

Archive 2006-11-01 Darren Naish 2006

Based on limb proportions and limb bone strength, Blanco & Jones (2005) estimated the running speed of the mesembriornithine Mesembriornis, the patagornithine Patagornis, and a giant phorusrhacine specimen from the Pliocene or Pleistocene of Uruguay.

Archive 2006-11-01 Darren Naish 2006

Based on limb proportions and limb bone strength, Blanco & Jones (2005) estimated the running speed of the mesembriornithine Mesembriornis, the patagornithine Patagornis, and a giant phorusrhacine specimen from the Pliocene or Pleistocene of Uruguay.

More on phorusrhacids: the biggest, the fastest, the mostest out-of-placest Darren Naish 2006

Discovered in Miocene rocks of Comallo, Argentina, it appears to be a phorusrhacine closely related to Devincenzia, another of those obscure taxa known from pretty good remains.

Terror birds Darren Naish 2006

All of this has been inspired by Chiappe & Bertelli’s (2006) description of the immense new specimen BAR 3877-11, an unnamed Miocene phorusrhacine phorusrhacid that represents one of the biggest members of the group: its skull is 71 cm long and the live animal probably stood 3 m tall (life restoration at left).

More on phorusrhacids: the biggest, the fastest, the mostest out-of-placest Darren Naish 2006

All of this has been inspired by Chiappe & Bertelli’s (2006) description of the immense new specimen BAR 3877-11, an unnamed Miocene phorusrhacine phorusrhacid that represents one of the biggest members of the group: its skull is 71 cm long and the live animal probably stood 3 m tall (life restoration at left).

Archive 2006-11-01 Darren Naish 2006