Discover fossils of a giant raptors

This giant bird can eat large animals the size of a sheep (photo: 26noticias)

Imagine a 3m tall ostrich bird with a big head like a horse's head, a beak like an eagle mine capable of chasing you. You are facing a giant carnivorous bird in South America, the main predator in the Miocene period.

According to Nature, the researchers first discovered intact skull bone fossils of a member of the bird family Phorusrhacidae.

Two researchers Luis Chiappe and Sara Bertelli of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History (USA) determine this 15 million-year-old fossil was discovered in the city of Cornallo, Patagonia region of Argentina. Based on the size of its skull and foot bones, the researchers estimate the bird is 10% larger than other giant Phorusrhacidae birds, especially the Brontonis bird that is considered the largest.

The bird discovered in Cornallo has a skull of 71.6 cm long and 43.7 cm long of the foot bone. The bird does not fly but runs very well. The bones of the feet show that it is more agile than the Brontonis bird.

Researchers have not yet revealed the name of this new Phorusrhacidae. They will give more details in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Researcher Luis Chiappe (photo: todito)

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