Teratornis

Genus Teratornis L. Miller, 1909

Teratornis L. Miller, 1909 [September 10], Univ. Calif. Publ. Bull. Dept. Geol., vol. 5, n. 21, p. 307. type, by original designation, Teratornis merriami L. Miller.

Synonym: Pleistogyps L. Miller, 1910 [November 28], Univ. Calif. Publ. Bull. Dept. Geol., vol. 6, n. 1, p. 16. type, by monotypy, Pleistogyps rex L. Miller.

Teratornis merriami L. Miller, 1909

Teratornis merriami L. Miller, 1909 [September 10], Univ. Calif. Publ. Bull. Dept. Geol., vol. 5, n. 21, p. 307. [Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Late Pleistocene]

Synonym: Pleistogyps rex L. Miller, 1910 [November 28], Univ. Calif. Publ. Bull. Dept. Geol., vol. 6, n. 1, p. 16. [Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Late Pleistocene]

Teratornis incredibilis Howard, 1952

Teratornis incredibilis Howard, 1952 [August 30], Bull. So. Calif. Academy of Sciences, vol. 51, n. 2, p. 51. [Smith Creek Cave, White Pine, Nevada, U.S.A. Late Pleistocene]

Note: Due to the allochrony and undiagnostic nature of all seven specimens referred to this species, most highly fragmented and poorly preserved, accommodated today as elements under the skeleton of a single species (cf. Campbell et al. 1999, see also Howard 1952, 1963, 1972), both generic combinations previously considered in the binomen of this taxon are inaccurate and highly problematic. Given that the holotype cuneiform described by Howard (1952) closely conforms with Teratornis merriami in most features except for its larger size, we prefer to maintain herein the original combination proposed by Howard (1952: 51) under the unequivocal valid genus Teratornis, for specimens previously referred to this species, until more complete and diagnostic material is recovered (which is not available yet, since Howard 1972: 343) to clarify if more than one taxon is involved, their identity at generic, but also specific positions, and the validity of the genus Aiolornis Campbell, Scott & Springer, 1999 .

Teratornis woodburnensis Campbell & Stenger, 2002

Teratornis woodburnensis Campbell & Stenger, 2002 [January], Proc. 5th Symp. SAPE, China Sci. Press, p. 3. [Legion Park in Woodburn, Marion, Oregon, U.S.A. Late Pleistocene]