Parent taxon: Neornithes according to J. F. Clements et al. 2017
See also del Hoyo et al. 2014 and Stucchi et al. 2015
Sister taxa: Aequornithes, Alectromorphae, Cariamiformes, Colymbomorphae, Coraciomorphae, Eurypygiformes, Galbuliformes, Leptosomiformes, Lonchodytes pterygius, Mesitornithiformes, Neognathae, Odontognathae, Otidiformes, Palaeognathae, Pelargomorphae, Phoenicopteriformes, Picocoraciae, Pterocliformes
Subtaxa: Cathartidae
Ecology: ground dwelling carnivore
Distribution:
• Quaternary of Argentina (5 collections), the Bahamas (1), Bolivia (1), Brazil (2), Cuba (2), Ecuador (1), Mexico (2), Peru (2), United States (45: California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, New Mexico, Virginia), Venezuela (1)
• Blancan of United States (2: Florida, Kansas)
• Pliocene of Argentina (3), United States (1: North Carolina)
• Miocene to Pliocene of Argentina (1)
• Miocene of Argentina (1), Peru (3), United States (3: California, Florida)
• Eocene to Oligocene of France (1)
• Eocene of France (1), United States (1: Colorado)
Total: 79 collections including 120 occurrences