| Devincenzia Temporal range: Early Miocene-Early Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reconstruction of Devencenzia by Joschua Knüppe | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Cariamiformes |
| Family: | †Phorusrhacidae |
| Genus: | †Devincenzia Kraglievich, 1932 |
| Type species | |
| †D. pozzi Kraglievich, 1931 | |
| Other species | |
|
† D. gallinali? Kraglievich, 1932 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phorosrachos pozzi Kraglievich, 1931 Phororhacos longissimus mendocinus Kraglievich, 1931 Devincenzia gallinali Kraglievich, 1932? Onactornis depressus Cabrera, 1939 Onactornis pozzi Kraglievich, 1931 | |
Devincenzia ("named after Garibaldi Devincenzi") is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid bird that lived in Uruguay during the Early Miocene to potentially the Early Pleistocene epoch and Argentina during the Early Pliocene epoch. The type species is D. pozzi.
Description[]
The holotype of Devincenzia consists of a partial right tarsometatarsus of a juvenile individual. Other fossils have been discovered, such as a partial skull, three pedal phalanges, a tibiotarsus fragment, a lower end of a tarsometatarsus, a right tarsometatarsus, a tarsometatarsus fragment, a cervical vertebra, and a dorsal vertebra. The skull is estimated to be around 65 cm in length, making it larger than the skull of Titanis. The skull is also about 32.3 cm wide at the occipital bone and about 12.7 cm tall. Devincenzia is the largest phorusrhacid, being around 2.4 meters tall and 350 kilograms (770 lbs), nearly double the weight of Titanis, one of its closest relatives.
Paleobiology[]
Devincenzia, much like Titanis, had large expanses formed by the lacrimal bones to protect the eyes from sunlight and enable keen eyesight. Devincenzia likely hunted in areas with high vegetation, and with a narrow upper maxilla, it could catch small animals hidden around stones or other obstacles. Similar to other phorusrhacids, Devincenzia would damage its beak when restraining prey in side to side motions, meaning it likely used up to down motions instead. Devincenzia also likely hunted by striking prey with its beak from high up.
Paleoecology[]
Devincenzia lived in tidal flats similar to the modern day Amazon. It lived with and may have hunted notoungulates and litopterns such as Xotodon and Cullina. Devincenzia also had to deal with being predated by large crocodilians such as Gryposuchus.
In popular culture[]
- Devincenzia appeared in the documentary series Paleoworld as Onactornis, now considered to be a synonymous binomial name.
Gallery[]
