Hello again,
I will defer to science for proof that Teratorns were able to fly, and that they existed at least into the age of man living in the Americas. Read this article on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratornithidae
more is at the same site on individual species;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratornis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Teratorn
I will include a passage which is relevant, might have posted this before:
T. merriami is the largest species of flying bird that without any doubt was encountered alive by humans. The initial reaction was probably one of awe, but as bones found in Amerindian middens show, the bird was not considered sacred enough not to be hunted. On the other hand, the species was probably large and possibly predatory enough to consider human infants food, albeit certainly not on a regular basis. (bold and italics my emphasis)
from Ask.com
Despite their size, there is little doubt that even the largest teratorns could fly. Visible marks of the attachments of contour feathers can be seen on Argentavis wing bones. This defies some earlier theories that modern birds like Condors and Swans and Bustards represent the ultimate size limit for flying birds. Wing loading of Argentavis was relatively low, and if there were any significant wind present, the bird could probably get airborne merely by spreading its wings, just like modern Albatrosses. It is noteworthy that South America during Miocene probably featured strong and steady westerly winds, as the Andes were still forming and not yet very high.
Traditionally, teratorns have been described as large scavengers, very much like oversized condors, owing to considerable similarity with condors. However, long beaks of teratorns are more like the beaks of eagles and other active predatory birds, rather than vultures.
You know I had not even considered the importance of winds to such huge birds of prey - (yes they were predators, but probably ate much carrion as well just like eagles) and then compare this to the locations where giant birds have been reported (along with the seasons) I wonder if there is a correlation? Will take more research..... hmmm.
I am not making this up, friends, and it is not science fiction - all we need for this to be a genuine Cryptid is the finding of more recent remains - and not ALL of the remains already recovered are "fossils" - in fact some years ago there were photos of a five foot feather believed to have come from the larger species making the rounds. As for the odds that we MUST have found remains, keep in mind that we are talking about a species which was never numerous anywhere - in fact the Argentavis is known only from THREE sites in the world! Hardly a case where we MUST have already found remains if some survived longer! Especially since these birds would have most likely hung on in the most remote regions, not in areas of easy access.
That statement about chickens not flying must be referring to the heavy breeds. I have raised chickens of the bantam breeds, those have not been bred for extra heavy bodies over centuries, and they can fly as well as many birds! If you doubt it, go ask anyone who owns some bantam chickens. The species of bird which is thought to be the originator of all domesticated chickens is the "Jungle Fowl" of the Indian subcontinent, and these wild versions of chickens are able to fly very well indeed. Just look at domesticated turkeys compared to wild turkeys, and you can again see that our domesticated versions have been specifically bred to be heavier, while the wild birds can fly since they are not as heavy bodied. Aerodynamic calculations are great, but remember that according to the laws of physics and aerodynamics as we understand them, Bumblebees cannot fly!
Not to toss you off, but this thread
is for the purpose of posting the
personal experiences and those of close friends and relatives, not really for
debating whether the stories are real or false - I am happy to offer to debate the existence of
any of these critters on one of the other threads which is dedicated to that purpose. (Link is:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,44582.msg355465.html)
Note reply #1 from our kind moderator Jeff, quote
"
Since this is a Dicussion thread (Not meant for those who like to argue) & not a Complaint / Debate Thread, I moved it here.
Debating it here and inferring that people are "lying" is only serving to
prevent other members from posting their own experiences, for no one cares for being
ridiculed. So please, lets take the debate to one of the other threads which were created
FOR that purpose, not try to call our members liars here? I don't mind anyone who wants to ridicule me
personally, but won't sit idly by either
.
I look forward to more of your own experiences, members, keep 'em coming!
Oroblanco
