### Discovery of Prehistoric "Terror Bird" Fossil in South America Offers Insight into Ancient Apex Predators

A fossil of a colossal prehistoric bird, potentially the largest known member of its kind, has been uncovered in South America, according to a recent study. The 12-million-year-old lower leg bone was initially discovered approximately 20 years ago by a museum curator in Colombia’s fossil-rich Tatacoa desert but wasn't identified as a terror bird until this year.

Using a portable scanner, researchers created a 3D virtual model of the fossil, which enabled a more thorough analysis. Federico Javier Degrange from the Center for Research in Earth Sciences in Argentina shed light on the specimen's impressive dimensions, stating that the bird stood over 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall and weighed more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds).

Phorusrhacids, commonly known as "terror birds," belonged to an extinct family of predominantly meat-eating birds that were dominant predators during much of the Cenozoic Era, roughly 66 million years ago until today. These birds, primarily found in southern South America, had slender bodies and adaptations for running, and the largest species were flightless. Their substantial beak and specialized skull mechanics made them efficient hunters.

Siobhán Cooke of Johns Hopkins University described these birds as ground-dwelling predators with limbs tailored for running, mainly preying on other animals. The study, featured in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, claims the fossil to be the first record of a substantial terror bird from the Middle Miocene deposits in central Colombia.

Although the fossil consists only of a portion of a lower leg bone known as the left tibiotarsus, its size implies it could represent one of the largest terror birds ever discovered, possibly weighing around 340 pounds. This fossil is also the northernmost evidence of such birds in South America.

Researchers estimate that this terror bird was 5 to 20 percent larger than other known species, which ranged from 3 to 9 feet tall as inferred from previous fossils. Despite the possibility of this being a new species within the phorusrhacid group, the researchers remain uncertain due to the limited nature of the fossil materials.

The fossil also exhibits teeth marks, likely from an extinct caiman or crocodilian species known as purussaurus, which could grow up to 30 feet long. Cooke suggested that the terror bird might have succumbed to injuries inflicted by these ancient predators, indicating a deadly encounter in the prehistoric ecosystem.

This remarkable discovery adds valuable knowledge to our understanding of the diverse and complex life forms that once roamed the ancient landscapes of South America.