Review of the putative Phorusrhacidae from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of Antarctica: new records of ratites and pelagornithid birds

Remains referred to Phorusrhacidae from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of the Antarctic Peninsula, and mainly known through informal and succinct descriptions, are reassigned here to other bird lineages recorded in the Antarctic continent. New records of ratites, pelagomithid birds, and penguins are added to the Upper Eocene avifauna of Seymour Island. Moreover, the original allocation for an alleged cursorial seriema-like bird from the Maastrichtian of Vega Island is refuted, and its affinities with foot-propelled diving birds are indicated. The indeterminate Pelagomithidae specimen represents the largest pseudo-toothed bird known so far. It is concluded that there is no empirical evidence for the presence of terror birds in Antarctica.