Teratornis

Teratornis (Greek: "wonder" (teras / gen.sg. teratos), "bird" (ornis)) is an extinct genus of huge North American birds of prey—the best-known of the teratorns—of which, two species are known to have existed: Teratornis merriami and Teratornis woodburnensis. A large number of fossil and subfossil bones, representing more than 100 individuals, have been found in locations in California, Oregon, southern Nevada, Arizona, and Florida, though most are from the Californian La Brea Tar Pits. All remains except one Early Pleistocene partial skeleton from the Leisey Shell Pit near Charlotte Harbor, Florida (which may represent a different species or a subspecies) date from the Late Pleistocene, with the youngest remains dating from the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary.

==Taxonomy== left|thumb|T. merriami skeleton from the La Brea tar pits in flight pose Teratornis merriami. This is by far the best-known and most commonly found species. Up to a hundred specimens have been found, mostly from the La Brea Tar Pits. It stood about 75 cm (29.5 in) tall with estimated wingspan of perhaps 3.5 to 3.8 metres (11.5 to 12.5 ft), and its weight has been estimated within the range of with 95% confidence; making it about a third bigger than extant condors. It became extinct at the very end of the Pleistocene, some 10,000 years ago. Before the formation of the Teratornithidae family, T. merriamis hooked beak and skull morphology led to its initial placement in the family Vulturidae alongside New World Vultures. Further analysis has suggested a potentially equal relation to storks in the Ciconiidae family. Despite similarities, these three families can be differentiated by their differing skulls in response to significantly different feeding methods. Teratornis woodburnensis. The first species to be found north of the La Brea Tar Pits, this partial specimen was discovered at Legion Park, Woodburn, Oregon in 1999. It is known from a humerus, parts of the cranium, beak, sternum, and vertebrae which indicate an estimated wingspan of over 4 meters (14 ft). The find dates to the late Pleistocene, about 12,000 years ago, in a stratum containing the remains of megafauna such as mammoth, mastodon, and ground sloths, as well as evidence of early human occupancy at the site.