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The last terror birds (Aves, Phorusrhacidae): new evidence from the late Pleistocene of Uruguay

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Abstract

We report new fossil evidence of terror bird survival until the end of the Pleistocene in Uruguay. The new specimens comprise the distal portion of right tarsometatarsus and a left humerus; the latter is assigned to the genus Psilopterus. The sedimentary context of the remains yields a characteristic Pleistocene mammalian association along with numerical age dating giving an undoubted late Pleistocene age (OSL 96,040 ± 6300 years). We also revise and discuss the systematic placement of late Pleistocene phorusrhacid material previously published. The trophic role of terror birds and other South American carnivorous birds in late Pleistocene ecosystems should be revised based on the increasing findings of avian fossil materials.

Kurzfassung

Wir berichten von neuen fossilen Beweisen für das Überleben von Terrorvögeln bis zum Ende des Pleistozäns in Uruguay. Die neuen Exemplare umfassen den distalen Teil des rechten Tarsometatarsus sowie eines linken Humerus; letzterer wird der Gattung Psilopterus zugeordnet. Der sedimentäre Kontext dieser Reste liefert eine charakteristische pleistozäne Säugetiergemeinschaft und zusammen mit numerischer Altersdatierung ein unzweifelhaft spät-pleistozänes Alter (OSL 96.040 ± 6.300 Jahre). Wir revidieren und diskutieren außerdem die systematische Stellung des bisher publizierten spät-pleistozänen Phorusrhaciden-Materials. Die trophische Rolle von Terrorvögeln und anderen südamerikanischen carnivoren Vögeln im Ökosystem des Spät-Pleistozäns sollte, basierend auf der Zunahme der Funde von Vogel-Fossilmaterial, revidiert werden.

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Abbreviations

AMNH:

American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA

BMNH:

British Museum of Natural History, UK

FMNH:

Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA

IGMJ:

Peirano collection of the Instituto de Geología y Minería de San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina

MACN:

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

MPAB:

Museo Paleontológico Alejandro Berro, Mercedes, Uruguay

MLP:

Museo de La Plata, Argentina

MMP:

Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo Scaglia, Mar del Plata, Argentina

MNHN:

Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay

MPM-PV:

Museo Padre Molina, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina

MHNT:

Museu de História Natural de Taubaté, Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil

UF:

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

YPM-PU:

Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Heaven, CT, USA

OSL:

Optically stimulated luminescence

UIC:

Luminescence Dating Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois, USA

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Tubaro (MACN), S. Chapman (BMNH), E. France and M. Xu (YPM), S. Claramunt (AMNH), W. F. Simpson (FMNH), F. Degrange and R. I. Vezzosi for providing us with pictures of extant and fossil materials. We also thank A. Arcaud (MPAB), G. García and Municipality of Soriano for assistance during our visits to collections and on field work. We are greatly indebted to E. Lindsey for English grammar corrections. We also thank C. Mourer-Chauviré, F. Agnolin, U. Göhlich and M. Reich for reviewing and helping to improve the manuscript. W. W. J., A. R. and M. U. thank the Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación and Programa de Desarrollo de Ciencias Básicas (PEDECIBA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural- Montevideo, Uruguay CC. 399, 11000, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Washington Jones, Andrés Rinderknecht & Felipe Montenegro

  2. Museu de História Natural de Taubaté, Rua Juvenal Dias de Carvalho, 111., Taubaté, SP, Brazil

    Herculano Alvarenga

  3. Facultad de Ciencias-I.C.G., Udelar. Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Felipe Montenegro & Martín Ubilla

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  1. Washington Jones
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  2. Andrés Rinderknecht
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  3. Herculano Alvarenga
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  4. Felipe Montenegro
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  5. Martín Ubilla
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Correspondence to Washington Jones.

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Handling editor: Ursula Göhlich.

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Jones, W., Rinderknecht, A., Alvarenga, H. et al. The last terror birds (Aves, Phorusrhacidae): new evidence from the late Pleistocene of Uruguay. PalZ 92, 365–372 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-017-0388-y

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