Paleontologists have unearthed two fossilized phalanges of ancient carnivorous birds on Seymour Island in Antarctica.
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of an early Eocene continental community on Seymour Island: large claw-shaped birds hunting and gazing at medium-sized ungulates. Nothiolophos regeloiseveral marsupials on the tree, Antarctoboenus carlinii It is flying in the sky, and behind it is a runner who cannot fly. Image credit: Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Washington Jones, doi: 10.26879/1340.
Ancient bird fossils were discovered in the La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island in West Antarctica.
“These phalanges belonged to a large predator, estimated to weigh around 100 kg,” said Dr. Carolina Acosta Hospitalrecce of the National University of La Plata and Dr. Washington Jones of the National Museum of History of Uruguay.
The specimen is approximately 50 million years old (early Eocene).
They belong to the following types Forsulacid (commonly known as the fear bird), an extinct family in the order Calliamyformes.
“Caryamiformes are a primarily terrestrial bird order that has shown significant diversification in the past, but only two species currently inhabit South America,” the paleontologists said.
“Despite the rich fossil record, phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships within this order remain poorly understood.”
“Within the Calliamydae, Phorsuracidae forms a crown group with the Caryamydae, and Idiornithidae and Basorhuntiidae have been reconfirmed as fossil families.”
Fossilized phalanx of an ancient Karyamiform bird from Seymour Island, Antarctica. Scale bar – 10 mm. Image credit: Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Washington Jones, doi: 10.26879/1340.
The Antarctic terror bird probably preyed on small marsupials and medium-sized ungulates.
“They are likely active hunters, clearly fulfilling the role of continental apex predators similar to the mammals of Paleogene Antarctic communities,” the researchers said.
“Large birds resembling Phorsulaceae represent a previously unknown guild in Antarctica.”
“These findings unequivocally reshape our understanding of the dynamics of the Antarctic ecosystem during the early Eocene.”
of result Published in an online magazine Old Trogia Electronica.
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Carolina Acosta Hospitalrecce & Washington Jones. 2024. Was the fearbird an apex predator in Antarctica? New discoveries from the early Eocene of Seymour Island. Old Trogia Electronica 27 (1):a13; doi: 10.26879/1340
Source: www.sci.news
