Physornis fossil map
Where fossils of Physornis have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 29–0.0117 million years ago (Rupelian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Phorusrhacidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1895 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Sarmiento, txn:39461, Deseado |
About Physornis
Physornis ("bellowed bird") is an extinct genus of giant flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae or "terror birds" that lived during the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene in what is now Argentina. It was scientifically described by Argentine paleontologist Florentino Ameghino in 1895 on the basis of a single, incomplete mandible (lower jaw) that was found in rock layers from the Deseadan SALMA (a series of fauna based geologic ages) near the Deseado River, Santa Cruz Province. This fragment was largely the only material known until the early 20th century, when expeditions by the Field Museum and Amherst College to Patagonia recovered many new fossils. However, Physornis remains very poorly known. In 1982, another species of Physornis, P. brasiliensis, was named based on a nearly complete skeleton found in São Paulo, Brazil. It is now in its own genus, Paraphysornis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Physornis (revision 1380216442), 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: Q1617702.
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