Garganoaetus

Garganoaetus
Temporal range: Early Pliocene
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G. freudenthali feeding on a Mikrotia sp.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: †Garganoaetus
Ballmann, 1973
Species

†Garganoaetus freudenthali[1]
†Garganoaetus murivorus[2]

Garganoaetus is an extinct genus of buteonin accipitrid bird of prey from the early Pliocene in Italy.[3] G. freudenthali was comparable in size to a golden eagle; G. murivorus was hawk sized. Species of Garganoaetus would have lived alongside other Gargano island animals, such as large dormice Stertomys and Hattomys hamsters, the giant, long-skulled Deinogalerix moonrats, an otter, Prolagus pikas, and the multi-horned artiodactyl Hoplitomeryx.[2]

  1. ^ Meijer, Hanneke (25 January 2017). "Sun, sea and dwarf hippos: the Mediterranean is a surprising palaeontological paradise". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b Naish, Darren (28 January 2008). "Titan-hawks and other super-raptors". ScienceBlogs. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  3. ^ Acta zoologica cracoviensia. Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences. 1997. p. 307.