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Paleopsilopterus

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Paleopsilopterus
Temporal range: Early Eocene (Itaboraian)
~53–50 Ma
↓
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cariamiformes
Family: †Phorusrhacidae
Genus: †Paleopsilopterus
Species:
†P. itaboraiensis
Binomial name
†Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis
Alvarenga, 1985

Paleopsilopterus is an extinct genus of large, flightless, predatory birds classified within the order Cariamiformes. It is generally placed in the subfamily Psilopterinae of the family Phorusrhacidae, commonly known as "terror birds," although its precise taxonomic placement has been subject to debate.[1][2]

Paleopsilopterus lived during the Early Eocene (approximately 53 to 50 million years ago), specifically within the Itaboraian South American Land Mammal Age. Fossils of the only known species, Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis, have been discovered in the Itaboraí Formation near São José de Itaborai in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Angst, D.; Buffetaut, E.; Lécuyer, C.; Amiot, R. (2013). ""Terror Birds" (Phorusrhacidae) from the Eocene of Europe Imply Trans-Tethys Dispersal". PLOS ONE. 8 (11): e80357. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080357. PMC 3842325. PMID 24312212.
  2. ^ Alvarenga, H.M.F.; Höfling, E. (2003). "Systematic revision of the Phorusrhacidae (Aves: Ralliformes)". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. 43 (4): 55–91. doi:10.1590/s0031-10492003000400001.
  3. ^ Paleopsilopterus at Fossilworks.org
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