Review of the putative Phorusrhacidae from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of Antarctica: new records of ratites and pelagornithid birds

• Published in: Polish Polar Research
• Main Author: Cenizo, Marcos M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2012
• Subjects: Ecology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; The Antarctic; Vega Island; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Research
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10183-012-0014-3; http://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/popore/33/3/article-p239.xml; https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/popore.2012.33.issue-3/v10183-012-0014-3/v10183-012-0014-3.pdf

Abstract : Remains referred to Phorusrhacidae from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of the Antarctic Peninsula, and mainly known through informal and succinct descriptions, are re− assigned here to other bird lineages recorded in the Antarctic continent. New records of ratites, pelagornithid birds, and penguins are added to the Upper Eocene avifauna of Sey− mour Island. Moreover, the original allocation for an alleged cursorial seriema−like bird from the Maastrichtian of Vega Island is refuted, and its affinities with foot−propelled div− ing birds are indicated. The indeterminate Pelagornithidae specimen represents the largest pseudo−toothed bird known so far. It is concluded that there is no empirical evidence for the presence of terror birds in Antarctica.