Brontornis burmeisteri Moreno & Mercerat, un Anseriformes (Aves) gigante del Mioceno Medio de Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

Brontornis burmeisteri Moreno & Mercerat, a giant Anseriformes (Aves) from the Middle Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina. Since its original description, Brontornis burmeisteri was considered as closely related to the family Phorusrhacidae (Gruiformes). Brontornis is known only by scarce postcranial remains, fragmentary mandibles and a quadrate bone. All the material comes from the Miocene of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. A reanalysis of this material indicates that Brontornis may be more properly included within the Anseriformes as a basal member of this group, together with Diatryma and the extinct family Dromornithidae. Its inclusion within the Anseriformes suggests a more complex evolutionary history of the poorly known paleoavifaunas of South America.