Cathartornis ("Cathartes Bird") is an extinct taxon of bird of the family Teratornithidae. The genus contains a single species, Cathartornis gracilis, known from only two tarsometatarsi, one complete and the other represented by its distal end. Both specimens were recovered from the Late Pleistocene deposits of the La Brea Tar Pits in Southern California.Miller, L. (1911). The condor-like vultures of Rancho La Brea (Vol. 6, No. 1). The University Press. To date, no additional fossils have been referred to Cathartornis, although some remains currently assigned to Teratornis may represent the former.DIAGNOSIS OF THE PRINCIPAL TAXA OF TERATORNITHIDAE (AVES: ACCIPITRIFORMES), INCLUDING TERATORNIS MILLER 1909 AND ITS SPECIES T. MERRIAMI AND T. WOODBURNENSIS Unpublished fossil material has also been mentioned in connection with the genus.Campbell, K. E., & Stenger, A. T. (2002). A new teratorn (Aves; Teratornithidae) from the Upper Pleistocene of Oregon.
References