A giant raptor (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Pleistocene of southern Australia

Researchers have identified the largest known bird of prey from Australia, a giant raptor named Dynatoaetus gaffae, which roamed southern Australia during the Pleistocene. This discovery, based on both existing and newly collected fossil material, reveals a predator with robust hindlimbs, functionally similar to large circaetines like the Philippine Eagle. Phylogenetic analyses place Dynatoaetus as the immediate sister-group to the Aegypiinae within the Circaetinae + Aegypiinae clade. The species likely filled the role of Australia’s top terrestrial avian predator and may have gone extinct around 50,000 years ago during the megafaunal mass extinction. This finding highlights a significant decline in raptor diversity and function in Australasia.

Mather, E. K., Lee, M. S. Y., Camens, A. B., & Worthy, T. H. (2023). A giant raptor (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Pleistocene of southern Australia. Journal of Ornithology, 164(3), 499–526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-023-02055-x