First report of large cathartids (Aves, Cathartidae) from the late Pleistocene of Uruguay

Abstract

The fossil record of South American cathartids, with few exceptions, is largely restricted to Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites. This contribution provides for the first time fossil records of cathartids from Uruguay. The specimens reported here include an; almost complete fibula, an incomplete furcula, and the distal end of a tibiotarsus. The; first two specimens came from Late Pleistocene beds at two localities of from Northern Uruguay, and the last one comes from Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene beds from South-western Uruguay. All the specimens were associated with several megafaunal fossil remains. The systematic assignation and paleobiological implications of these scavenger birds are here discussed.