Strigogyps sapea
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| iStrigogyps sapea |
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 Ailuravus macrurus and Strigogyps sapea
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| Strigogyps sapea (D. S. Peters, 1987) |
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Aenigmavis sapea D. S. Peters, 1987 |
Strigogyps sapea ("Owl Vulture") is a species of prehistoric birds. It initially was described as the single species of the genus Aenigmavis ("enigmatic bird"). This bird is known from fossil remains found in the Middle Eocene deposits of the Messel shale. It probably was around the size of a large chicken or a guan, weighing not quite 1 kilogram. Apparently, as indicated by the ratio of lengths of wing to leg bones, S. sapea was flightless. Its legs were not adapted to running, so it seems to have had a walking lifestyle similar to trumpeters, but probably was more carnivorous, feeding on small reptiles, possibly mammals or fish caught in shallow water, or carrion. It was previously believed to be a primitive European phorusrhacid (terror bird), but it is now known to be a sophiornithid, which were birds related to primitive owls. (Alvarenga & Höfling, 2003; Mayr, 2005)
[edit] References
- Alvarenga, Herculano M. F. & Höfling, Elizabeth (2003): Systematic revision of the Phorusrhacidae (Aves: Ralliformes). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 43(4): 55-91 PDF fulltext
- Mayr, Gerald (2005): "Old World phorusrhacids" (Aves, Phorusrhacidae): a new look at Strigogyps ("Aenigmavis") sapea (Peters 1987). PaleoBios (Berkeley) 25(1): 11-16 HTML abstract
- Peters, D.S. (1987): Ein "Phorusrhacidae" aus dem Mittel-Eozän von Messel (Aves: Gruiformes: Cariamae). Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie de Lyon 99: 71-87. [Article in German]
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