Terror Birds - reconstructing behavior from CT scanning & modern hawk biology

Clips from the Discovery channel program "MegaBeasts: Terror Bird" (later "Monsters Resurrected: Terror Bird"), which premiered 13 Sept 2009. The clip features WitmerLab research on the skull, brain endocast, and inner ear of the phorusrhacids Andalgalornis and Psilopterus based on CT scanning. Rendered in Amira and QuickTime by Ryan Ridgely. Eric Snively's work on modern-day raptors is also featured (filmed before he joined WitmerLab in 2010). For more videos like this, please visit http://www.ohio.edu/witmerlab

Category:

Education

Tags:

• bird
• terror bird
• phorusrhacid
• hawk
• vision
• dinosaur
• brain
• CT scan
• inner ear
• behavior
• anatomy
• morphology

[art4med]

Is it important to remember that the eyes have to be vertically stationary when running? Watch the "hovering" hawk focusing on prey: it keeps its eyes stationary though its wings are fluttering like palm trees in a hurricane.  When "prey" birds like the pigeon walk on the ground, they keep their eyes in the same place for two steps, then advance -=> thus the back-and-forth of the head (also seen in chickens) that allows them better stereoscopic vision (to see predators).

[Powgow]

@Spootchies Hit to the back of the neck = broken neck = dead

[sebass316]

@Spootchies yup seems exaggerated

[Spootchies]

It kills a ground sloth IN ONE HIT!? Overpowered to the EXTREEEEEEME!!!! 6:05

[FrithAlces]

Not to sound like a nerd, but the terror bird is part of the same lineage as the seriama and together are a basal members of a lineage that also consists of falcons, parrots and songbirds (which the last two are sister kin), Hackell 2008.

[SuperImready]

Exciting modern research! I noticed in one reconstruction Titanis has a bit of a forelimb, not the vestigial wing we're used to seeing on terror birds, and exactly as it's depicted in a late 90's issue of "Discover".

[TypeUsernameHere9727]

Lol the way it runs is so fricken funny XD it's definitely related to the trex in terms of running lol

[camtheTrex]

nice one DR. witmer