Herpetotherinae is a subfamily of falconid birds of prey that includes eight species in two genera Herpetotheres (the laughing falcon) and Micrastur (forest falcons).[1][2][3][4] Both genera are found in South America and the subfamily is basal to the other falconid subfamilies where they split off around 30.2 million years ago in the Oligocene epoch.[4] The two extant herpetotherine genera split around 20 million years ago in the Miocene epoch with the extinct genus Thegornis.[2]
^ abFuchs, J.; Johnson, J. A.; Mindell, D. P. (2015). "Rapid diversification of falcons (Aves: Falconidae) due to expansion of open habitats in the Late Miocene". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 82: 166–182. Bibcode:2015MolPE..82..166F. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.08.010. PMID25256056.
^ abMindell, M. D.; Fuchs, J.; Johnson, J. A. (2018). "1". In Sarasola, J.; Grande, J.; Negro, J. (eds.). Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century. Springer, Chame. pp. 3–32. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73745-4_1. ISBN978-3-319-73745-4.