Millions of years ago, ‘Terror Birds’ became the main predators on Earth

Jakarta –

In the Miocene period 12 million years ago, ancient species of meat-eating birds dominated the land. This species was revealed as a result of the analysis of bird bone fossils found in the Tatacoa Desert, South America. How big is the bird?

After analyzing bird foot fossils, scientists suspect that the bones belong to an ancient bird of prey that roamed the American continent. This bird comes from the family Porusrhacid or what scientists call “scared birds”.

The findings were published in the journal Palaeontology Volume 10, Issue 6, November 2024.

Flesh-eating terror bird: run big and fast

Bird Porusrhacid or “terror bird” described by researchers as one of the most impressive predators that ever lived on earth. This flightless bird lived in South America about 60 million to 2 million years ago.

This bird is 3 meters tall and has a large, hooked beak. Their legs are very strong for running.

“Basically, they were the top predators of their time,” the researcher was quoted as saying. ground.com.

While in power, the terror bird dominated the environment by hunting small and medium animals. They can run at high speed in pursuit of prey, using their powerful beaks to deliver deadly attacks.

Some scientists believe that they may have hunted in groups, although this is still debated. Their rule lasted for millions of years, filling the void left by the dinosaurs.

“The size of the bones suggests that this formidable bird may have been the largest member of the species known to date, about 5 to 20 percent larger than Phorusrhacids what is known,” said Siobhán Cooke, professor of functional anatomy and evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States.

There is a Quarrel with Reptiles

At that time, birds were not the only predators. However, there are types of reptiles that are also predators.

Researchers revealed that the results of the analysis of the bones of the terrible bird showed physical evidence of a deadly adaptation by a reptilian enemy.

“We suspect that the terror bird died from the injuries caused by the popularity of crocodiles 12 million years ago,” Cooke said.

He said the research suggests a diverse and thriving ecosystem, very different from the landscape seen today.

“This ancient environment, now a desert, was home to primates, sloth mammals, giant ground sloths, glyptodonts (basically, giant armadillos the size of cars), and terror birds,” he said.

According to the researchers, by understanding the evolution of predatory birds, it is hoped that they can provide insight into how top predators adapt to environmental changes, thus adding valuable knowledge to bio- evolutionary knowledge.

Paleontologists hope that continued study of South American sites will yield more examples, expanding our understanding of Miocene-era ecosystems.

(do/nwk)