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Paraphysornis
''Paraphysornis'' is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited Brazil during Late Oligocene or Early Miocene epochs. Although not the tallest phorusrhacid, ''Paraphysornis'' was a notably robust bird, having short and robust tarsal bones not suited for pursuit hunting. Discovery and naming The holotype (DGM-1418-R) and only known fossil was discovered by a mining company in the Taubaté Basin (São Paulo State) in a layer of bentonite clay, two or three meters below a layer of Pyrobitumen. These sediments belong to the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Tremembé Formation. Excavation of the bones took several months between 1977 and 1978, yielding a nearly complete (%75) skeleton only lacking most of the cranium, the pelvis and sternum. The bones were initially studied by Herculano Alvarenga, who first described them in 1982 as a species of ''Physornis''. Following closer examination of various phorusrhacid remains held in institutions across Europe, Nor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paraphysornis Model Vienna
''Paraphysornis'' is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited Brazil during Late Oligocene or Early Miocene epochs. Although not the tallest phorusrhacid, ''Paraphysornis'' was a notably robust bird, having short and robust tarsal bones not suited for pursuit hunting. Discovery and naming The holotype (DGM-1418-R) and only known fossil was discovered by a mining company in the Taubaté Basin (São Paulo State) in a layer of bentonite clay, two or three meters below a layer of Pyrobitumen. These sediments belong to the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Tremembé Formation. Excavation of the bones took several months between 1977 and 1978, yielding a nearly complete (%75) skeleton only lacking most of the cranium, the pelvis and sternum. The bones were initially studied by Herculano Alvarenga, who first described them in 1982 as a species of ''Physornis''. Following closer examination of various phorusrhacid remains held in institutions across Europe, North ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Physornis
''Physornis'' is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds", most closely related to '' Paraphysornis'', that lived in Argentina. The type species is ''P. fortis''. It lived during the Middle to Late Oligocene ( Deseadan). Few fossils are known, but the available material suggests that ''Physornis'' was one of the largest phorusrhacids. History and taxonomy The holotype of ''Physornis'' ( BMNH-A583) is a 137 mm long portion of a symphysis and the right branch of this lower jaw, described in 1894 by paleontologist Florentino Ameghino. He published the name, together with a description but without a drawing, in the same year.Brodkorb, P. (1967). ''Catalogue of fossil birds: part 3 (Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes)''. University of Florida.Alvarenga, H. M., & Höfling, E. (2003). Systematic revision of the Phorusrhacidae (Aves: Ralliformes). ''Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia'', ''43''(4), 55-91. The fossil was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herculano Marcos Ferraz De Alvarenga
Herculano Marcos Ferraz de Alvarenga (born 7 November 1947) is a Brazilian ornithologist, paleontologist and physician, founder of the Taubaté Natural History Museum.Alvarenga, H. (2004) Tucanos das Américas/Toucans of the Americas. M. Pontual Ed.: 120pp.Museu de História Natural de Taubaté. (UndatedHistórico Retrieved 30 January 2017. Life Herculano Alvarenga was born in 1947 in Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil. As a teenager, he started to watch birds and collect them. He went to São Paulo when he was 15 to study taxidermy and soon his stuffed specimens started to be exhibited in scientific expositions in high school.Moon, P. (2012).Herculano Alvarenga descobriu fósseis e hoje dirige seu próprio museu de história natural. ''Época''. Retrieved 4 February 2017. His interests in biology and anatomy led him to study medicine, specializing in orthopedy. In 1975 he returned to Taubaté and became professor of the Faculty of Medicine in the city. When the faculty went on str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terror Birds
Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct clade of large carnivorous flightless birds that were one of the largest species of apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era; their conventionally accepted temporal range covers from 62 to 0.1 million years ( Ma) ago. They ranged in height from . Their closest modern-day relatives are believed to be the seriemas. ''Titanis walleri'', one of the larger species, is known from Texas and Florida in North America. This makes the phorusrhacids the only known large South American predator to migrate north in the Great American Interchange that followed the formation of the Isthmus of Panama land bridge (the main pulse of the interchange began about 2.6 Ma ago; ''Titanis'' at 5 Ma was an early northward migrant). It was once believed that ''T. walleri'' became extinct in North America around the time of the arrival of humans, but subsequent datings of ''Titanis'' fossils provided no evidence for their survi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deseadan
The Deseadan ( es, Deseadense) age is a period of geologic time (29.0–21.0 Ma) within the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene to the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically within the SALMA classification of South America. It follows the Tinguirirican and precedes the Colhuehuapian age. Etymology The age is named after the Deseado Formation of the Deseado Massif in eastern Patagonia, Argentina. Formations Fossils Correlations The Deseadan South American land mammal age (SALMA) is equivalent to the Arikareean in the North American land mammal age (NALMA) and the Harrisonian in the 2000 version of the classification. It overlaps with the Hsandagolian The Hsandagolian age is a period of geologic time (33.9 – 23.03 Ma) within the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene used more specifically with Asian Land Mammal Ages. It follows the Kekeamuan and precedes the Tabenbulakian age. The Ulangochuian ... of Asia and the MP 25 zone of Europe, the Waitaki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psilopterus
''Psilopterus'' (Greek for "bare wing") is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid ("terror bird") from the Middle Oligocene to possibly the Late Pleistocene of Argentina and Uruguay. Compared to other phorusrhacids, members of the genus are both relatively gracile and diminutive, and include the smallest known species of terror bird: with the head raised ''P. bachmanni'' was in height and weighed about , while the largest members of the genus were only about . The birds resemble the modern cariama (''Cariama cristata''), except with a heavier build and considerably smaller wings. The strong morphological similarity between the claws of the predatory cariama and ''Psilopterus'', both of which are sharp, curved, and laterally compressed, may indicate they were used to strike prey. In contrast to the other, larger terror birds, Tonni and Tambussi also suggested ''Psilopterus'' could use their claws to climb trees, and could even fly, but this has been rejected in more recent literature. F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesembriornis
''Mesembriornis'' is a genus of intermediate-sized phorusrhacids that grew up to in height. They represent a well-distinct lineage of terror birds, differing from the massive large groups and the smaller Psilopterinae. In general proportions, they most resembled the Patagornithinae which flourished somewhat earlier, mainly to the south of the range of ''Mesembriornis''. Fossils of the terror bird have been found in Montehermosan deposits of the Monte Hermoso Formation in Argentina.''Mesembriornis'' at .org Etymology The genus name, ''Mesembriornis'', means "southern bird" after its discovery in the[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the epoch are slightly uncertain. The name Oligocene was coined in 1854 by the German paleontologist Heinrich Ernst Beyrich from his studies of marine beds in Belgium and Germany. The name comes from the Ancient Greek (''olígos'', "few") and (''kainós'', "new"), and refers to the sparsity of extant forms of molluscs. The Oligocene is preceded by the Eocene Epoch and is followed by the Miocene Epoch. The Oligocene is the third and final epoch of the Paleogene Period. The Oligocene is often considered an important time of transition, a link between the archaic world of the tropical Eocene and the more modern ecosystems of the Miocene. Major changes during the Oligocene included a global expansion o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelvis
The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The pelvic region of the trunk includes the bony pelvis, the pelvic cavity (the space enclosed by the bony pelvis), the pelvic floor, below the pelvic cavity, and the perineum, below the pelvic floor. The pelvic skeleton is formed in the area of the back, by the sacrum and the coccyx and anteriorly and to the left and right sides, by a pair of hip bones. The two hip bones connect the spine with the lower limbs. They are attached to the sacrum posteriorly, connected to each other anteriorly, and joined with the two femurs at the hip joints. The gap enclosed by the bony pelvis, called the pelvic cavity, is the section of the body underneath the abdomen and mainly consists of the reproductive organs (sex organs) and the rectum, while the pelvic f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sternum
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. Shaped roughly like a necktie, it is one of the largest and longest flat bones of the body. Its three regions are the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process. The word "sternum" originates from the Ancient Greek στέρνον (stérnon), meaning "chest". Structure The sternum is a narrow, flat bone, forming the middle portion of the front of the chest. The top of the sternum supports the clavicles (collarbones) and its edges join with the costal cartilages of the first two pairs of ribs. The inner surface of the sternum is also the attachment of the sternopericardial ligaments. Its top is also connected to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The sternum consists of three main parts, listed from the top: * Manubrium * Body (gladiolus) * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lordosis
Lordosis is historically defined as an ''abnormal'' inward curvature of the lumbar spine. However, the terms ''lordosis'' and ''lordotic'' are also used to refer to the normal inward curvature of the lumbar and cervical regions of the human spine. Similarly, kyphosis historically refers to ''abnormal'' convex curvature of the spine. The normal outward (convex) curvature in the thoracic and sacral regions is also termed ''kyphosis'' or ''kyphotic''. The term comes from the Greek lordōsis, from ''lordos'' ("bent backward"). Lordosis in the human spine makes it easier for humans to bring the bulk of their mass over the pelvis. This allows for a much more efficient walking gait than that of other primates, whose inflexible spines cause them to resort to an inefficient forward leaning "bent-knee, bent-waist" gait. As such, lordosis in the human spine is considered one of the primary physiological adaptations of the human skeleton that allows for human gait to be as energeticall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cervical Vertebrae
In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In sauropsid species, the cervical vertebrae bear cervical ribs. In lizards and saurischian dinosaurs, the cervical ribs are large; in birds, they are small and completely fused to the vertebrae. The vertebral transverse processes of mammals are homologous to the cervical ribs of other amniotes. Most mammals have seven cervical vertebrae, with the only three known exceptions being the manatee with six, the two-toed sloth with five or six, and the three-toed sloth with nine. In humans, cervical vertebrae are the smallest of the true vertebrae and can be readily distinguished from those of the thoracic or lumbar regions by the presence of a foramen (hole) in each transverse process, through which the vertebral artery, vertebral veins, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
