| Dynatoaetus | |
|---|---|
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| Known skeletal elements of Dynatoaetus gaffae in grey | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | †Dynatoaetus Mather et al., 2023 |
| Type species | |
| †Dynatoaetus gaffae Mather et al., 2023
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| Species | |
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Dynatoaetus is an extinct genus of large bird of prey from the Pleistocene of Australia. It is among the largest known raptors of the region, second only to the Haast's eagle of New Zealand, with estimates suggesting a weight of up to 12 kg (26 lb). Although most closely related to modern vultures, it shows clear adaptations towards an active predatory lifestyle in the form of robust, powerful talons. This may either hint at it retaining these ancestral features from the closely related serpent eagles or show that it convergently evolved these features as it took on a similar lifestyle. Due to their size and robust bones, it is thought that Dynatoaetus would have been capable of taking large prey items like kangaroos, giant wombats and flightless birds. There are two species within the genus, the type species Dynatoaetus gaffae and the somewhat smaller Dynatoaetus pachyosteus, both of which inhabited the same part of Australia at the same time.