''Paleopsilopterus'' is an extinct genus of large, flightless, predatory birds classified within the order

Cariamiformes Cariamiformes (or Cariamae) is an order of primarily flightless birds that has existed for over 50 million years. The group includes the family Cariamidae (seriemas) and the extinct families such as Phorusrhacidae, Bathornithidae, Idiornithid ...

. It is generally placed in the subfamily Psilopterinae of the family

Phorusrhacidae Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct family of large carnivorous, mostly flightless birds that were among the largest apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era. Their definitive fossil records range from ...

, commonly known as "terror birds," although its precise taxonomic placement has been subject to debate. ''Paleopsilopterus'' lived during the Early Eocene (approximately 53 to 50 million years ago), specifically within the Itaboraian South American Land Mammal Age. Fossils of the only known species, ''Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis'', have been discovered in the

Itaboraí Formation The Itaboraí Formation () is a highly list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Brazil, fossiliferous geologic Formation (geology), formation and LagerstätteKellner & Campos, 1999, p.399 of the Itaboraí Basin in Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio d ...

near

São José de Itaborai SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of Y ...

in the state of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil.''Paleopsilopterus''
at Fossilworks.org

References

External links

Genus Taxonomy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q258195 Phorusrhacidae Prehistoric bird genera Extinct flightless birds Eocene birds of South America Ypresian life Itaboraian Paleogene Brazil Fossils of Brazil Fossil taxa described in 1985