Legend of giant man-eating New Zealand eagle is TRUE

[The Overfiend]

Peep link for pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1213319/Legend-giant-man-eating-New-Zealand-eagle-true.html



Legend of giant man-eating New Zealand eagle is TRUE

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:30 PM on 14th September 2009

A massive man-eating bird of prey from ancient Maori legend really did exist, according to new research.

Scientists have known about the existence of Haast's eagle for over a century based on excavated bones, but the behaviour of these giant birds was not clear.

As the eagles weighed up to 40 lbs some scientists presumed they were scavengers rather than the predators from mythology.
Haast's eagle

Scientists used computerised CT scans to reconstruct the Haast's eagle from a fossil of its skull

But a new study has revealed the eagle as a fearsome predator that probably swooped on flightless birds and even children from a high mountain perch.

Researchers Paul Scofield of the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand and Ken Ashwell of the University of New South Wales used computerised CT and CAT scans to reconstruct the size of the brain, eyes, ears and spinal cord of this ancient eagle.

 
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This data was compared to values from modern predatory and scavenging birds to determine the habits of the extinct eagle.

Professor Scofield said the findings are similar to what he found in Maori folk tales.

'The science supports Maori mythology of the legendary pouakai or hokioi, a huge bird that could swoop down on people in the mountains and was capable of killing a small child,' he said.

Haast eagle

An illustration shows a Haast eagle attack flightless moa in New Zealand

The researchers also determined the eagle quickly evolved from a much smaller ancestor, with the body growing much more quickly than the brain. They believe its body grew 10 times bigger during the early to middle Pleistocene period, 700,000 to 1.8 million years ago.

'This work is a great example of how rapidly evolving medical techniques and equipment can be used to solve ancient medical mysteries,' Professor Ashwell said.

They wrote their conclusions in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Scientists believe the Haast's eagle became extinct due to habitat destruction and the extinction of its prey species at the hands of early Polynesian settlers.

New Zealand paleontologist Trevor Worthy said: 'They provide a convincing case that the body of this eagle has rapidly enlarged, presumably adapting to the very much larger prey it had access to in New Zealand, but that the brain size had lagged behind this increase.'

Before the humans colonized New Zealand about 750 years ago, the largest inhabitants were birds like the Haast's eagle and the moa.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1213319/Legend-giant-man-eating-New-Zealand-eagle-true.html#ixzz0R9WUuNDL

[Cali Climate]

I love discoveries like this. But what's to suggest they ate humans?

[Roccy]

I love discoveries like this. But what's to suggest they ate humans?

exactly.


but good post!

[Fraxxx]

I love discoveries like this. But what's to suggest they ate humans?

I guess it's about the new evidence that this eagle was in fact a predator and not a scavenger which gives support to the Maori tales that it really did kill even children sometimes.

[The Overfiend]

I love discoveries like this. But what's to suggest they ate humans?

I guess it's about the new evidence that this eagle was in fact a predator and not a scavenger which gives support to the Maori tales that it really did kill even children sometimes.

Yeah I guess because the Maori tales tell of these birds killing kids, so now the scientists have evidence that supports the folk tales.

[Sikotic™]

Guess what destination I just scratched off my vacation list?

[Nutty]

A 40lb bird, wow. That's one big mofo.

I've seen Moa bones at the local museum, they were huge birds.

[LAXCENTRAL]

I love discoveries like this. But what's to suggest they ate humans?

exactly.


but good post!

[Blasphemy]

dope  I remember they used to portray everything as giant in those old movies/docs but never really believe it. Also I think little kids would count as RATs in the eagles eyes, that might be way it confirms it. But yeah, dope.

[LAXCENTRAL]

dope  I remember they used to portray everything as giant in those old movies/docs but never really believe it. Also I think little kids would count as RATs in the eagles eyes, that might be way it confirms it. But yeah, dope.

[krzieg]

krzie.........good post

[Fraxxx]

Guess what destination I just scratched off my vacation list?

lol