A team of researchers has discovered a massive leg bone belonging to the fearsome Phorusrhacid bird, which roamed northern South America millions of years ago. The fossil, dated back 12 million years to the Miocene epoch, is believed to be one of the largest ever documented in its species.
Led by terror bird expert Federico J. Degrange, the team made the discovery in Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert, an area rich in prehistoric life. The fossil marks the northernmost record of this species in South America and suggests that Phorusrhacids played a prominent role in Colombia’s ancient ecosystem.
The leg bone, which belongs to the bird’s shin bone, is 5-20% larger than any other known Phorusrhacid. According to co-author Siobhán Cooke, the bird was likely around nine feet tall and had limbs adapted for running. It mostly ate other animals and lived on the ground.
The fossil carries teeth marks probably left by an extinct giant caiman, which is believed to have contributed to the terror bird’s demise. The discovery provides new insights into the wildlife that populated the region 12 million years ago, which coexisted with primates, hoofed mammals, massive ground sloths, and glyptodonts.
The finding also suggests that Phorusrhacids were relatively rare in this northern habitat, and there could be more fossils waiting to be identified. Researchers believe that the discovery offers a unique glimpse into the ecosystems of South America during this time period, vastly different from today’s world.
Source: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/terror-bird-bone-tatacoa-desert-colombia