Paleopsilopterus

Pa-leo-sil-op-the-rus.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Paleopsilopterus ‭(‬Ancient Psilopterus‭)‬.

Phonetic

Pa-leo-sil-op-the-rus.

Named By

Alvarenga‭ ‬-‭ ‬1985.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Aves,‭ ‬Cariamae,‭ ‬Phorusrhacidae,‭ ‬Psilopterinae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

P.‭ ‬itaboraiensis‭

Size

Up to‭ ‬1‭ ‬meter high.

Known locations

Brazil.

Time Period

Selandian of the Paleocene.

Fossil representation

Fossils to identify one species.

In Depth

       Paleopsilopterus is one of the smallest and by far earliest of the terror birds with fossils dating back as far as sixty million years ago.‭ ‬In a world that had seen the disappearance of the dinosaurs under five million years before its existence,‭ ‬Paleopsilopterus thrived and was likely the form that would go onto to produce a greater diversification of terror birds including giants such as Kelenken and Brontornis.‭

Further Reading

– Um novo Psilopteridae (Aves: Gruiformes) dos sedimentos Terci�rios de Itabora�, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. – Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia 8:17-20. – H. Alvarenga – 1985.

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