Re: Misc Replies & thoughts

[Andrea Spreafico <sprea@linknet.it>]

At 22.34 08/06/97 GMT, you wrote:

>Phorusracids
>What are these and when did they live?

Phorusracids lived from 27 up to about 3 millions of years ago in South
America and Antarctic. They belong to the group of Phorusracoids (62-2,5
millions of years ago), related with seriemas, _Cariama cristata_ and
_Chunga burmeisteri_, two living gruiforms.
Phorusracids were dominant carnivores, occupying the ecological niche of
extinct coelurosaurs. 1-3 m high, with powerful backlimbs, long neck and
large head, they ran maybe up to 70 km/hour, but they're were unable to fly.
The hunting technique was probably similar to that of seriemas, catching the
prey with backlimbs and beak. Maybe the Panama isthmus' formation caused the
fall of these birds, allowing the expansion of Eutheria and their competition.

Eugenio Spreafico