Paracrax

Paracrax; Temporal range: Rupelian; ~33–30 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Cariamiformes (?)
Family:	†Bathornithidae (?)
Genus:	†Paracrax; Pierce Brodkorb 1964
Type species
	†Paracrax antiqua; Brodkorb 1964
Species
	†Paracrax antiqua; †Paracrax gigantea; †Paracrax wetmorei;
Synonyms
	Meleagris antiquus; Phalacrocorax/Oligocrocorax mediterranus;

Paracrax ("near curassow") is a genus of extinct North American flightless birds, possibly related to modern seriemas and the extinct terror birds. Part of Bathornithidae (though some analysis recover it as closer to the living seriemas instead,^[1] or possibly entirely out of Cariamiformes^[2]), it is a specialised member of this group, being cursorial carnivores much like their South American cousins, some species attaining massive sizes.

^ Mayr, G., & Noriega, J. I. A well-preserved partial skeleton of the poorly known early Miocene seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis (Aves, Cariamidae).
^ Gerald Mayr (2016). "Osteology and phylogenetic affinities of the middle Eocene North American Bathornis grallator—one of the best represented, albeit least known Paleogene cariamiform birds (seriemas and allies)". Journal of Paleontology 90 (2): 357–374. doi:10.1017/jpa.2016.45.

[1] Mayr, G., & Noriega, J. I. A well-preserved partial skeleton of the poorly known early Miocene seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis (Aves, Cariamidae).

[2] Gerald Mayr (2016). "Osteology and phylogenetic affinities of the middle Eocene North American Bathornis grallator—one of the best represented, albeit least known Paleogene cariamiform birds (seriemas and allies)". Journal of Paleontology 90 (2): 357–374. doi:10.1017/jpa.2016.45.

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