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Millions of years ago, the most fearsome predator in South America wasn't Tyrannosaurus rex or a raging mammoth - but a flightless bird with an enormous beak. The creatures known as "terror birds" held sway starting about 60 million years ago, and dominated the continent until only about 2 million years ago. But it wasn't clear exactly how the terror birds killed their prey. Until now.
Paleontologists can now say with confidence that the terror birds, known formally as phorusrhacids, wielded their beaks like hatchets. They repeatedly hacked at their foes, rather than chomping at them and shaking them from side to side as T. rex might have done.
These birds weren't built to wade into the fray like a feathered version of former boxing champ Joe Frazier. Instead, they took after Muhammad Ali, who famously defeated Frazier by floating like a butterfly and stinging like a ... well, like a terror bird.
Paleontologists can say all this thanks to a detailed analysis of three-dimensional X-ray scans, documenting the structure of a terror bird's 6 million-year-old skull. The results were reported today in the open-access journal PLoS ONE.
"One of the things that was surprising about this study is that we were actually able to find out quite a bit," one of the study's co-authors, Lawrence Witmer of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, told me in advance of today's publication.
Witmer has been studying the fossilized skulls of terror birds and other ancient creatures for some time now, trying to figure out how their brains worked. When he heard that other researchers were also looking into how terror birds did their thing, he linked up with them and providing the CT scans of a skull from a phorusrhacid species known as Andalgalornis. The scans allowed researchers to create a computer model suggesting what the skull was capable of doing ... as well as what it couldn't do.
The skulls of modern-day birds have lots of light, mobile joints. Not so for the terror bird: "They evolutionarily transformed many of these joints into rigid, dense beams and struts," Witmer explained.
The structure was optimized for a downward hacking motion of the beak. The bird could also conceivably bite down and crush its prey. But there was no way it could hang on and shake its victim from side to side. "It actually looked like that would cause catastrophic failure [of the skull], which is about as dramatic as it sounds," Witmer said.
"A lot of animals just wade into battle, wrestle and battle to subdue their prey," he said. "That's pretty tough. What we found is that weakness from side to side really prevented these animals from doing that going into battle. Instead, it would attack and retreat, attack and retreat, making these almost surgical precision strikes."
Once the terror bird felled its victim, it could tear the critter (most likely some sort of mammal) into bite-size pieces, or just swallow it whole.
Other researchers behind the study - including the lead author, Federico Degrange of the Museo de la Plata/CONICET in Argentina - worked with zookeepers to study the bite strength of an eagle as well as a seriema, a bird thought to be the closest living relative of the terror bird. All the findings were consistent with the Muhammad Ali strategy.
Degrange said the study provides the best explanation yet for why the terror bird was so terrible. "We need to figure out the ecological role that these amazing birds played if we really want to understand how the unusual ecosystems of South America evolved over the past 60 million years," he said in a news release about the research.
Ohio University
The fossil skull of the terror bird Andalgalornis is significantly larger than the skull of a modern-day golden eagle and a human skull. Andalgalornis lived 6 million years ago.
Terror birds had few equals in their ecosystem. Witmer said its closest rival may well have been a saber-toothed marsupial known as Thylacosmilus. The bird that was analyzed for the PLoS ONE study stood about 4.5 feet (1.4 meters tall), but other terror birds are thought to have stood as tall as 7 feet (2.1 meters), dwarfing modern-day eagles. Most of them ranged over South America when it was an island continent, before its tectonic linkup with North America. At least one species, Titanis walleri, invaded North America millions of years ago in the Great American Interchange.
The fall of the terror birds appears to have been as dramatic as its reign, but it's not yet clear exactly what caused them to go extinct. Paleontologists are pretty sure about one thing: Humans didn't kill them off. The birds may have been done in by big cats coming down into South America. Climate change may have played a role as well. "The extinction of successful animals is very rarely due to one factor, but a combination of events," zoologist Ross Piper observed in a posting on Scrubmuncher's Blog.
Witmer said the study published today is a great example showing how paleontologists are "teasing everything we can out of these dusty bones."
"Making these comparisons really starts to give us a broader view of what predators were like," he told me. "We're talking about a different world, a whole different dynamic. It's really a different window on the past, and terror birds wind up providing a pretty exciting view through that window."
Watch a computer animation of the terror bird's bite. Join the Cosmic Log corps by signing up as my Facebook friend or hooking up on Twitter with @b0yle. And if you really want to be friendly, ask me about "The Case for Pluto."
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It was probably a vegetarian and friendly and probably mimicked other birds or animals much like a parrot. Come on people when I here or see the words millions of years ago I write it off as another of satan's plots to deceive people. The earth is not that old.
And it's flat as well.
At least that's what the voices tell me.
Santoni, you're beyond help if you believe that the earth isn't that old. You're in a small minority, stubbornly ignoring what most people know to be true. Guess what - you're going to die someday and that will be the end of you. You're not going to heaven or hell. You're just going to rot. I'm not saying this to be mean but just because I believe it to be true. Religion is the refuge of those who can't tolerate life as it is.
Wow, are you a fossil too? People like you make me ashamed to be a homosapien.
Put down your Bible and pick up a science book. Get yourself some education.
Santoni: I'm not a creationist but I've studied a lot of it and large, carnivorous, flightless birds are perfectly acceptable under creationist ecology. Things with beaks like that just couldn't be vegetarians after the Fall.
Then explain the Toucan. It can hold a grape at the tip of its beak. I've known of people who keep them as pets. With beaks that big I'd settle for a canary in or outside the cage.
@ santoni, So I am wondering if you have done any searching for knowledge yourself (as in you physically made an effort to read books other then the bible) or if you are just repeating information that some priest, religious leader, Fox news said, or are just reiterating what is in the bible.
I would seriously suggest that you go to the library, or enroll in college to expand your knowledge of the world. You are seriously vulnerable to become a victim of some demented religious leaders whims.
If you dont beleive me just look at history, namley Jim Jones, Knowledge is power my friend, faith is great but blind faith is dangerous.
They're not seven feet tall.
The difference from a toucan is obvious if you look at it. This terror bird has a massive upper beak (lip?) and a tiny lower beak. More importantly it has a large hook on the end of it to pierce flesh and tear things apart. Seems pretty obvious to me that it was a predator. Just because a toucan also has a large beak doesn't mean these animals are comperable across the board.
That's how I would have done it. Bury the hatchet!
pstl - being a modern day man please put a date on the hatchet so that people who dig it up someday or just find it don't theorize that it's millions and millions and millions years old.
I'm pretty sure if there was writing millions of years ago then there would be "BUNGO WUZ HEER" on the inside of a cave somewhere or on the side of a fossilized T-rex shinbone but as it is writing is the invention of modern man. As are many other things like the use of tools and such. hmmm you know I bet if these animals did live at the same times as humans we would have used there skeletons as tools when they died like we've done to every other animal that's been in existence at the same time as us. BUT NO ancient american indians used the tendons of bears to make their bows and the feathers of eagles and hawks. Just accept it. You've been raised to believe a lie much like I was. However it is time to move forward.
Nice work, how about we shift from fanciful studies of 6mil years ago and take a look at what can be done to prevent the state of Ohio from declaring bankruptcy or insolvency?
Then after cracking that tough nut study how to apply that on a national scale.
Thanks, Oh look time for bed, gotta get up and go to work in the morning and contribute something... to the economy.
No academic funding to squander here.
Not everyone can be an economist, a politician, or a cancer researcher. "Fanciful" paleontological research helped to develop the idea that an asteroid or comet strike could cause a world-wide extinction level event, leading to the search for potential catastrophe-causing space rocks and snowballs, as well as to the development of plans to prevent such events.
Should the extinction of the human race be prevented by this knowledge, I'd say that was money well-spent. The quest for basic knowledge can lead to places we haven't yet imagined and it cannot wait until all our problems are solved. By then, it may be too late. In the meanwhile, the quest can both reveal and solve problems we didn't even know we had. What you don't know can kill you.
you whinging moron, truly a sickening post... the pursuit of knowledge and history is self justifying and doesn't need reference to some modern teeny bopper convenience in your squalid wage slavery life.
Spekaing as a wage slave myself, people should do what they're best at, "mt." You can't ever *know* what new things a bit of knowledge can elad to.
mtsr 1 - the solution to your comment is simple you mentioned it on the 4th line of your comments. Time to say goodnight and get up in the morning and go to work and contribute something to the economy. If every abled person in Ohio or any other State did that we wouldn't have to go bankrupt.
mtsr1 thats right because we all know that there are not that many humans on the earth so humanity can only do a certain number of things at a time. Its best that we use out limited population on more important things then Scientific research. ....
@mtsr1 Why are you reading this article?!?! GET BACK TO WORK!
Keeping LeBron in Cleveland...ridding the country of illegal immigrants...legalizing marijuana
Santoni - Exactly how old is the earth.
Alan, the mammoth wasn't a fearsome predator anywhere!
Ha, good point, Dave ... I was just trying to play off the image of a rampaging pachyderm. I should be more careful or the metaphor police just might revoke my poetic license.
Those are the Elephonts from Lord of the Rings
LOL Dave I was going to say the same thing. It would explain how Manny the Mammoth gets along so well with Diego in Ice Age.
Gt-2021701 I have an answer to your question, and this my even inlighten Santoni.
By the dating of Zircon ,small crystal's that look like elongated rhombuses, or im pretty sure they look like rhombuses I'm going by memory. The earth is 4.54 billion years old, give or take, a million years. This was done by radiometric age dating which I beleve is the same as radiocarbon dating but I'm not sure on that.
I didn't mean to provoke such harsh criticism from either of you. I was simply stating my opinion. I firmly believe in Creationism and no one or no fossil is going to sidetrack me from being with God. How about this The bird is a look-alike of a Toucan. And Raptorone thanks for your efforts but there are too many I believes, I'm pretty sures, give or takes to support your comments. At least from my point of view. Good day Gentlemen.
I fully support your right to believe in whatever you wish. However, There is no evidence that this bird ate fruit. There is also no evidence of Earth being less than at least close to 4-5 billion years old. Fossils alone take a long time to form, let alone a planet full of life. Believe in your faith, really it's great that we have that freedom. But I will stick with facts myself instead of things like a bush on fire that talks. I don't believe in Satan, nor a God, but I am not an atheist. I do hope their is more to life than meets the eye, but I am afraid I will be proven wrong and will accept it if it happens.
A bush on fire that talks - with God all things are possible. But you can believe a parrot can mimick a human voice. Why? Because you have heard it. Birds don't talk yet they do one thing that no other creature does they repeat things that are familiar to us "Words".
I've said it before and I'll say it again people. Folks like Santoni have the right to believe anything they want so long as it does not harm anyone. Treat them gently and humor them. Just don't let them get on your textbook committees. If they want to teach their children that their mythology is a scientific fact, let them put them in religious schools funded by the members of their religion. But for public education I think we should stick with the secular sciences and leave mythology for those who want or need it. Remember, it is unconstitutional to teach religion, any religion, in publicly funded schools EXCEPT as a review of the world's mythologies. You all have a right to your beliefs in this country (well unless you are muslim and want to build a mosque in downtown New York City, of course) and the right to practice those beliefs. You DO NOT have the right to force those beliefs on others.
Nice article Alan. I'm glad the bird is extinct. I'll bet he would have been a good match for the Chupacabra, huh? Mythologically speaking of course.
its Bush's fault.
No. Cheney was the power behind it, and it was based on Rumsfeld's plan. But we all know it was done for oil, executed by Halliburton, using Blackwater muscle.
And controlled by the Illuminati
Im so terrified of birds, I'm so glad this was 6 million years ago and not current. The species back then were so massive and terrifying....unless of course the devil planted it all there and its not real.
Funny but satan can't create he can only distort truth.
When Satan distorts the truth, isn't he creating a lie?
when Satan distorts the truth, it's Rush Limbaugh talking
joe mota, what does Rush Limbaugh have to do with anything? Are you trying to be funny? Because you are failing miserably.
Injecting Limbaugh's name into this thread is making you as ignorant as the wacked out Santoni who apparently is so ignorant they think the Earth is 5,000 years old. I mean, he's complaining about MILLIONS of years when the earth is BILLIONS of years old? What a wacko. Don't be lame and join in on being ignorant, mota.
Liberals distort the truth as much as conservatives do. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you regain your intelligence.
"They evolutionarily transformed many of these joints into rigid, dense beams and struts," Witmer explained.
They meaning the birds masterfully used evolution to change themselves, or they meaning blind chance was used?
Of all animals, birds are what give evolutionist the most difficultly to explain. The obvious design of feathers, and their remarkable respiratory system are just a couple of things that point to a Designer. A brilliant mind, not blind chance, is behind the structure of a bird, let alone the cells that make up all living things.
How funny, Santoni! You tell us you are stating your opinion, which is simply your belief, yet you discount others for doing so. You firmly believe in Creationism, which has not a single shred of touchable evidence, yet you scoff at a real fossil of a creature scientifically tested to be millions of years old. You say nothing is going to sidetrack you from being with God. Your words indicate you are close-minded to anything that might distract you from your goal, regardless of truth or accuracy. That is the mind-numbing effect of drinking the religious Kool-Aid. Can you enlighten us as to how you know, with absolute certainty, your God wants you to be with him/her/it? Narrow-mindedness is not going to secure a ticket for you on the Heaven Express.Â
Guys chill out please. It's not worth getting all riled up about a bird (fossil). Go out and rent the 1966 movie "One Million Years BC" with Raquel Welch maybe you can get some more ideas about how this bird may have moved or flown or ate. Case closed. Excuse me for commenting.
I want to thank Santoni for providing that bit of Thursday morning comic relief. And people say that Stooges comedy is dead. Bravo, dear buffoon ! And thank you and your fundamentalist pals for clarifying yet again that while everyone has a right to be heard, only the credible need be taken seriously.
god...satan... and rationalization on how these mythical beings operate -- all in a pop paleontology piece about terror birds... This is really (giggle) too much... I need more coffee...
jhoopy56 - you are quite welcomed. I'm glad I put a smile on your face rather than a frown. Enjoy your cup of coffee. Have a wonderful Day.
Actualy I believe the Earth is much older than four Billion years old (European number).
I think that the rocks in top of Everest had gone through the molten rock stage twice before. Just like before the our Sun dies out the same everest will be melted rock once again. So if we are assuming the age of our earth on old rocks and fossils. We must take into possibility that these rocks on the surface may have been under our mantle and recycled 2 or 3 times before, thereby making the true age of this planet unknown.
I really really believe the American public doesn't know how to count. i really bothers me the they don't kno the difference between European billion and american billion.
American billion comes right after 999 million. While the European billion comes after 999,999. million.
Every time I read an article that deals with geologic or universe time scale I have to take into account if the author is american or not. And even then I'm not sure. European Billion or american billion make up your mind Dam you.
So a European billion is the same as a North American trillion, I actually did not know that.
I thought that was only in Britain. And I thought they adopted our system some time ago. Correct me if i'm wrong.
The Brits adopted the American billion in the late 60's. The rest of Europe still uses both, depending on the circumstances.
All figures quoted for the age of the earth and/or universe are in American billions.
One final time from Santoni. In reflection I believe I have seen this bird before on "The Flinstones". Remember when they are breaking for lunch, a man pulls on a bird's tailfeathers making it sqawk out like an alarm? It kinda reminds me of this bird, at least the sketch.
You guys are all pathetic, but your know what i feel more pathetic about is actually wasting my time reading this. Later I am going to go get a life now. See ya!
Zell Dincht - don't feel so bad wait 4 or 5 months, weeks, or years they'll find another skull of something or another and they will have to rewrite everything about this satanic plot and then I will be most likely selected to be picked on because of what they fail to see as science gone completely wrong. The Bible is consistent unlike this fairy tale books called science. I have a life may I kindly suggest you try God. Wise men still seek him.
I almost feel foolish just asking a grammar question. The caption under the illustration reads:
I'm probably wrong but to me Andalgalornis is an extinct makes more sense. I mean it is still extinct. Was extinct makes it sounds like it has come back from the dead.
Perhaps say; Andalgalornis, an extinct 4.5-feet-tall, flightless predatory bird lived in northwestern Argentina.
That's science for you. Was, is, past, present - no concept of real time. All theory. That's how they get everything out of context. Thank God for giving us the wisdom to reach the moon and come back to tell everybody on earth that it's not made out of cheese and that there was no man on the moon until one of our astronauts got there.
Santoni, if you actually understood science, maybe it would make more sense to you.
Santoni: the computer you are using is a satanic device. God never meant for you to use computers. You should be crawling through the muck in a deerskin right now, the way your Creator intended.
Also: nice trolling.
Gentlemen did I strike a nerve? Good! The beginning of wisdon is the fear of the Lord.
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Sorry about the typo on my previous comment.
Santoni Wisdom comes from understanding and comprehending.
Doesn't matter, anyway here's a question from an ex-born again. If god is omnipotent and all powerful, can he travel at the speed of light (since he created light, right?)? If he can, how long is a day for him? Also, how was a day measured before the earth was created, meaning before he seperated light from darkness?
Hmm, anyone here know how to report someone (cough...santoni...cough) that hijacks a thread through irrelevant spamming?
Ah, nevermind, found it.
The Brits adopted the American billion in the late 60's. The rest of Europe still uses both, depending on the circumstances.
All figures quoted for the age of the earth and/or universe are in American billions.
Santoni: If God is all powerful, all knowing, everything that is pure and can NOT have an impure thought or action, then what does he do all day? Sit around and think of himself?