A new fossil condor (Aves, Cathartiformes) from the Early Pliocene of Catamarca province, Argentina

Abstract

Condors are New World vultures (Cathartiformes, Cathartidae) with broad wings and short tails. The fossil record of condors (Aves, Cathartiformes) in South America is scarce, and particularly in Argentina most of the remains assigned to condors have been debated. Here, we present a new fossil species of Cathartidae found in the Early Pliocene of Catamarca province, Argentina, that belongs to the extant genus Vultur. The new species, Vultur messii sp. nov. is considered to be the only valid fossil species of this iconic genus of birds. The presence of a fossil Vultur species, recovered from deposits older than 4.8 Ma, coincides with the rise of the pampean hills and the Andes, and the beginning of the regional aridification. The existence of incipient mountain chains may also indicate that the centre of origin of this genus is linked to the Andes mountain, which in turn indicates an earlier arrival and diversification of the condors in South America.