In Depth As a member of the Brontornithinae group of terror birds Physornis was one of the larger and more robust members of the larger group, the Phorusrhacidae. As such it would have been related to Paraphysornis and Brontornis, and living during the Oligocene it was one of the earliest terror birds to roam and … Read more
In Depth Paraphysornis was one of the more robust members of the phorusrhacid ‘terror birds’ and was most closely related to Physornis and Brontornis. Because of its large size and heavier build, Paraphysornis probably relied more upon ambush tactics to surprise prey rather than running it down over extended distances. Although this does not mean … Read more
In Depth Brontornis was easily one of the largest of the known South American ‘terror birds’, and as a member of the Brontornithinae it is noted as being one of the most robust in build. Whereas some terror birds could use their speed to run down prey, Brontornis would have been more suited to ambush … Read more