page_title: Titanis
section_title: Discovery
hierarchical_section_title: Titanis / Discovery
caption_attribution_description: English: Pierce Brodkorb (1908-1992), University of Florida. He is holding a the tarsometatarsus of the terror bird Titanis (dark) and another bird. Nederlands: Pierce Brodkorb (1908-1992), Universiteit van Florida. In zijn handen heeft hij de tarsometatarsus van de schrikvogel Titanis (donker) en die van een ander vogel Type: Black-and-white photographs Topic: Ornithology Local number: SIA Acc. 90-105 [SIA2008-0044] Summary: Ornithologist Pierce Brodkorb (1908-1992) was a professor at University of Florida Cite as: Acc. 90-105 - Science Service, Records, 1920s-1970s, Smithsonian Institution Archives Persistent URL:http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&amp;profile=all&amp;source=~!siarchives&amp;uri=full=3100001~!289398~!0#focus Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives View more collections from the Smithsonian Institution.
context_page_description: Titanis is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited North America during the early Pliocene to early Pleistocene epochs. The generic name, Titanis, refers to the titans, Ancient Greek gods that preceded the Twelve Olympians, in allusion to the bird's size. The specific name, T. walleri, honors the holotype's collector, Benjamin I. Waller, an avocational underwater archaeologist. Titanis was thought to be carnivorous and most likely preyed on the many small mammals of the time period. This giant flightless bird was one of the most efficient predators of its time in North America.
context_section_description: It lived approximately 5-2 million years ago (early Pliocene to early Pleistocene) in North America. Fossil evidence has been found in three locations in Florida and one in Texas. The Gilchrist County, Florida site dates from 3.0 to 2.9 million years ago. The Santa Fe River, where 27 of the 41 Titanis fossil specimen have been found, is located in Gilchrist County, Florida. The other locations that Titanis has been found include Port Charlotte and Inglis, Florida. Only one specimen has been found outside of Florida, and that was in the Nueces River in Texas.
caption: Pierce Brodkorb with the tarsometatarsus of Titanis (dark) and another bird
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