Llallawavis
| Llallawavis scagliai Temporal range: 3.5Ma | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cariamiformes |
| Family: | Phorusrhacidae |
| Subfamily: | Mesembriornithinae |
| Genus: | Llallawavis |
| Species: | L. scagliai |
| Binomial name | |
| Llallawavis scagliai Degrange et al., 2015[1] | |
Llallawavis scagliai (Magnificent Bird of Scaglia) is a large extinct predator bird, the most complete fossil of a "terror bird" yet found. Phorusrhacids, so-called terror birds, were up to 10 feet tall and inhabited South America during the Cenozoic Age. Though they were birds, they did not fly.
The fossil, discovered in 2010 in sediment among the cliffs above La Estafeta beach, contains the complete palate, complete trachea,skull, voice box, and eye bones.[1] The new species was around four feet tall and lived in Argentina approximately 3.5 million years ago during the Pliocene Epoch.[2]
L. scagliai likely roamed in grassland and weighed around 40 pounds.[3] The joints separating the skulls bones were fused, unlike modern birds, and that may have helped it smash prey. CT scans of its inner ear show that it could only hear frequencies between about 380 and 4230 hertz, and had a deep voice to match.[4]
The below cladogram is simplified after the analysis of Derange et al. (2015).[1]
| Phorusrhacidae |
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Degrange, Federico J.; Tambussi, Claudia P.; Taglioretti, Matías L.; Dondas, Alejandro; Scaglia, Fernando (20 March 2015). "A new Mesembriornithinae (Aves, Phorusrhacidae) provides new insights into the phylogeny and sensory capabilities of terror birds". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35 (2): e912656. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.912656.
- ↑ "Llallawavis scagliai: Exceptionally preserved fossil gives voice to ancient terror bird". Science Codex. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
- ↑ Perkins, Sid (9 April 2015). "New species of 'terror bird' discovered". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aab2465. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
- ↑ Webb, Jonathan (10 April 2015). "'Terror birds' had deep voices, fossil suggests". Science & Environment. BBC. Retrieved 2015-04-14.