A Terror Bird, or Phorusrhacidae, are an extinct clade of large carnivorous flightless birds that were the largest species of apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic, 62–2.5 million years (Ma) ago. They had large beaks and could run at very high speeds and were carnivorous. If you have seen the Pixar movie UP you have seen a fictional relative of the Phorusrhacidae.
While none of the terror birds were nearly as friendly or as colorful as “Kevin” they were similar in a couple of ways. 1. The gigantic beak-although real terror birds had a much more curved and ominous beak. 2. The tiny little wings- even though Phorusrhacidae’s wings were not a bright shade of blue. and 3. The long ultra strong running legs- which are very very very similar.
Recently the most complete fossil remains of a Phorusrhacidae to be discovered were unearthed, and it is a new species.
In this artist’s interpretation of the terror bird we see why the birds are called as such. With a beak that can rip apart flesh and legs that can propel it across the grasslands and forests at dizzying speeds Llallawavis scagliai is truly a bird from a nightmare.
As I researched more about this apex predator some things came very much into the light most prominent of which is that this is not a bird I would ever want to mess with. Humans were not in existence at this time, and if they were they would have most certainly not been on the top of the food chain.
Humans have since become the top of the food chain, but have not done so easily. We as a species have advanced because of our ability to out think the obstacles that get in our path. Early hunters needed meat- and in order to obtain that meat they hunted. Trapping came to supplement, and eventually we gained a hunting partner-the dog. Beyond the dog’s hunting help it was a source of protection against predators, and other people. No other animal had used another the way that we did with the dog, using it for food, protection, etc. Similarly farming advanced us greatly as a species in a way no other animal had done. All of these thing made it so that we could spend less time worrying about where our next meal would come from and more time on how we could make our lives better. Intelligence set us apart from our cousins in the animal kingdom, and how we used it put us above them.
outdorrsguy 