phorusrhacoids

[Farlow@SMTPLINK.IPFW.INDIANA.EDU]

     For those of you who were interested in my previous posting about 
     convergent evolution between dromaeosaurids and phorusrhacoids, here 
     is an interesting paper that I just came across:
     
     E.P. Tonni and C.P. Tambussi.  1988.  Un nuevo Psilopterinae 
     (Aves:Ralliformes) del Mioceno Tardio de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, 
     Republica Argentina.  Ameghiniana 25: 155-160.
     
     The most interesting passage of this paper is on p. 158: "Las falanges 
     ungueales son agudas, comprimidas en los laterales, poco curvadas y 
     con los tuberculos flexores escasamente desarrollados.  En cambio, la 
     del digito II es mas curvada y con el tuberculo flexor 
     comparativamente mas conspicuo."
     
     Figure 1 shows a foot skeleton of this bird that is to drool over....