Brontornis fossil map
Where fossils of Brontornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–11.63 million years ago (Aquitanian to Serravallian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Named by | Moreno and Mercerat 1891 |
| Fossil records | 9 occurrences at 8 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz, txn:NF, Monte Leon |
About Brontornis
Brontornis is an extinct genus of giant bird that inhabited Argentina during the Early to Middle Miocene. Its taxonomic position is highly controversial, with authors alternatively considering it to be a cariamiform, typically a phorusrhacid (terror bird) or an anserimorph.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Brontornis (revision 1378735175), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q2339690.
