Flinders University palaeontologists use new details about ancient raptors to paint a more complete picture of Pleistocene-era Australia
Ancient birds of prey feast on the carcass of a giant wombat-like creature; a committee of vultures waits its turn while a huge eagle feeds strips of bloody flesh to its chick.
Flinders University researchers have discovered new details of these Pleistocene-era raptors, and their findings have been brought to life in a beautiful, “gory” painting.
Australia’s only known vulture is Cryptogyps lacertosus, and the newly discovered eagle is Dynatoaetus pachyosteus.
The scientists found the vulture was more primitive than previously thought, lacking the soaring ability of current vultures, and that it was still alive approximately 60,000 years ago, which is more recent than previous estimates.
And they found the eagle, which lived up to 500,000 years ago, was second only in size to Dynatoaetus gaffae, the biggest eagle that ever lived on the Australian continent.
The vulture likely weighed about 6kg, and the eagle could have weighed up to 12kg.
Dr Ellen Mather, who also discovered D. gaffae, led the team, whose results were published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology on Friday.
