Argentavis

Lore & Background

The first remains of Argentavis were found during an expedition by the Museo de La Plata, roughly 15 km south of Hidalgo station, at the Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo locality in the Huayquerian Epecuén (now Cerro Azul) Formation of La Pampa Province, Argentina, by Rosendo Pascual and Eduardo Tonni. This material consisted of an associated partial skeleton with portions of the skull, right quadrate and parts of the legs and arms. The material was then brought to the Museo de La Plata and housed under specimen number MLP 65-VII-29-49. The generic name Argentavis comes from the Latin 'argentum', meaning silver, and 'avis', meaning bird, in reference to Argentina. The specific name magnificens means magnificent.

Reader's Guide

Argentavis represents a key taxon in understanding the evolution of giant flight in birds. As the heaviest known flying bird, it pushes the physiological limits of powered flight. Its classification within Teratornithidae, a group of large birds of prey that inhabited the Americas from the Late Oligocene to the Late Pleistocene, places it among seven species across six genera. The fact that both of the oldest taxa in the group originate from South America suggests the group evolved there, migrating to North America later. Despite severe fracturing of the holotype, the skull and quadrate provided strong evidence of Argentavis' relation to Teratornis. The species remains significant for debates on the maximum size achievable by flying birds and the paleoecology of the Late Miocene in South America.

Did You Know?

• Argentavis is among the largest flying birds known, with a wingspan of around 5–6 m (16–20 ft), only surpassed by Pelagornis sandersi.
• The first remains were found in the Epecuén Formation of La Pampa Province, Argentina, by Rosendo Pascual and Eduardo Tonni.