Researchers from Flinders University have reconstructed the story of an eagle that once dominated the skies over southern Australia.
The giant bird, named Dynatoaetus gaffae or Gaff’s powerful eagle, was twice the size of the modern-day wedge-tailed eagle and had a wingspan of up to three meters.
It lived more than 60,000 years ago and had talons that were wide enough to catch a kangaroo.
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The discovery was made after extensive research of fossil remains in thefossil cave remains in Mairs Cave in the Flinders Ranges, and it reveals that Australia was home to a more diverse group of birds of prey in the past.