The Silver Lining

On Tetrapod Zoology, Darren Naish has a post dealing with phorusrhacids - the so-called "terror birds" of the South American Cenozoic. While discussing the fossil record, he remarks:

What is almost certainly a non-American phorusrhacid was reported in 1987… from the Eocene of Antarctica (Case et al. 1987). ... Older phorusrhacids are known from the Palaeocene of South America, so the specimen does not demonstrate that phorusrhacids originated in Antarctica: rather, it probably shows that they were common to both continents prior to their separation in the Oligocene.

and adds

An interesting parallel is provided by the fossil record of sloths, as while long regarded as of South American origin, the oldest sloth is a Middle Eocene fossil from Seymour Island (Antarctica).

He then remarks that

From time to time people make the point that some really interesting, major events in tetrapod history must have occurred in ancient Antarctica – if only it wasn’t for that damned ice sheet. Luckily, we’re doing all we can to get rid of it (that’s meant to be ironic).

Nice to know there's going to be a silver lining, eh?