''Thegornis'' is an extinct genus of herpetotherine falconid that lived during the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. The genus was erected by

Florentino Ameghino Florentino Ameghino (born Giovanni Battista Fiorino Giuseppe Ameghino; September 19, 1853 – August 6, 1911) was an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist, whose fossil discoveries on the Argentine Pampas, especial ...

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 Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

. 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 The laughing falcon (''Herpetotheres cachinnans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found from Mexico south through Central America and in every mainland South A ...

and

forest falcon Forest falcons are members of the genus ''Micrastur'', part of the family Falconidae. They are endemic to the Americas, found from Mexico in the north, south through Central America and large parts of South America, and as far south as northern A ...

, which together form the clade

Herpetotherinae Herpetotherinae is a subfamily of falconid birds of prey that includes eight species in two genera '' Herpetotheres'' (the laughing falcon) and ''Micrastur'' (forest falcons). Both genera are found in South America and the subfamily is basal to ...

. The

seriema The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae (the entire family is also referred to as "seriemas"), which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they ...

Noriegavis ''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' ...

'' holotype was transferred to this genus and the well-preserved specimen described in 2015 attributed to ''Noriegavis'' has been classified into ''

Miocariama ''Miocariama'' is an extinct genus of seriema that lived in the Early Miocene and Late Pliocene. The only species in the genus is ''Miocariama patagonica''. It was discovered in the Santa Cruz Formation of the Aquitanian stage in the Miocene, ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q85808955 Falconidae Neogene birds of South America Prehistoric bird genera Neogene Argentina