Phorusrhacos fossil map
Where fossils of Phorusrhacos 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 | 29–13.82 million years ago (Rupelian to Langhian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Phorusrhacidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1887 |
| Fossil records | 21 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz, Monte Leon, Deseado, Cerro Boleadoras |
About Phorusrhacos
Phorusrhacos (meaning "bearer of scars" or "bearer of wrinkles") is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid, a group of predatory flightless birds commonly known as terror birds. It lived during the Early to Middle Miocene, approximately 18–13 million years ago, in what is now southern Argentina. The first fossil attributed to the genus, an isolated fragment of the mandible (lower jaw), was discovered in 1887 by Argentine paleontologist Carlos Ameghino in sediments of the Santa Cruz Formation in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Later that year, his brother, Florentino Ameghino, formally described the specimen as the new genus and species Phorusrhacos longissimus. Florentino initially interpreted the fossil as belonging to a giant, toothless sloth and assigned the genus to its own family, Phorusrhacidae. In 1891, however, Argentine naturalist Francisco Moreno recognized that the specimen was avian rather than mammalian. Since its initial description, Phorusrhacos has become one of the best-known phorusrhacid genera, with fossils documented from numerous localities in southern Argentina.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Phorusrhacos (revision 1380196232), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131317.
