Thegornis fossil map
Where fossils of Thegornis 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 | 17.5–16.3 million years ago (Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Falconidae |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Santa Cruz |
About Thegornis
Thegornis is an extinct genus of herpetotherine falconid that lived during the Miocene of South America. The genus was erected by Florentino Ameghino in 1895 based on two species, T. musculosus and T. debilis. However, T. debilis was later suggested to be an invalid species, with the differences between it and T. musculosus being due to sexual dimorphism. Two additional species, T. spivacowi and T. sosae, were subsequently named in later years by Federico Agnolín. Its skull and postcranial morphology are similar to the laughing falcon and forest falcon, which together form the clade Herpetotherinae.
The holotype specimen of Noriegavis (originally Cariama) santacrucensis was initially regarded as belonging to a unique seriema taxon, to which a second partial skeleton was referred in 2013. However, later study of these fossils indicated the holotype instead belongs to Thegornis, while the second specimen was given a new scientific name, Miocariama.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Thegornis (revision 1365092432), 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: Q85808955.
