Teratornithidae
| Teratornithidae Temporal range: Oligocene- 25–recent Ma |
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|---|---|
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| Teratornis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cathartiformes (disputed) |
| Family: |
†Teratornithidae L. H. Miller, 1909 |
| Genera | |
†Teratornis
†Aiolornis
†Argentavis
†Cathartornis
†Oscaravis
Teratorns (from the Greek Τερατορνις Teratornis, 'monster bird') are an extinct group of very large birds of prey that lived in North and South America from the Miocene to epochs. They include some of the largest known flying birds.
Teratornithidae are related to New World vultures (Cathartidae, syn. Vulturidae).
So far, at least seven species in six genera have been identified:
Some cryptozoologists such as Ken Gerhard, and Mark A. Hall have expressed interest in teratorns as a possible explanation of anecdotal sightings of very large birds in Texas and Illinois and popularly known as Thunderbirds.
Despite their size, there is little doubt that even the largest teratorns could fly. Visible marks of the attachments of contour feathers can be seen on Argentavis wing bones. This defies some earlier theories that modern condors, swans, and bustards represent the size limit for flying birds. The wing loading of Argentavis was relatively low for its size, a bit more than a turkey's, and if there were any significant wind present, the bird could probably get airborne merely by spreading its wings, just like modern albatrosses. South America during the Miocene probably featured strong and steady westerly winds, as the Andes were still forming and not yet very high.
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Wikipedia