Hindlimb morphology and the foraging ecology of the extinct Haast's eagle (Accipitriformes: Hieraaetus moorei)

P. 189-190.

Zinoviev A.

New Zealand was inhabited by a number of large flightless birds as well as their aerial predators. One of
such predators was an impressive Haast’s eagle, which extinction coincides with the extinction of the other
New Zealand megafauna. As the earlier predictions on the foraging ecology of Haast’s eagle were based on the
analysis of skeletal elements, I reconstruct muscles and ligaments of the large eagle’s hindlimbs to get the further
insight into the problem. Although similar to muscles and ligaments of other eagles, hindlimb morphology
of Hieraaetus moorei shows several adaptations for securing and processing particularly large prey. Powerful
retractors of the femur were enlarged, while its pronators mm. iliotrochanterici originated across a much broader
region of the pelvis in comparison with other species of Accipitridae. Flexor tubercles of the ungual phalanges
as well as the tubercles for the insertion of markedly larger m. abductor digiti 2 and m. abductor digiti 4 muscles
were also enlarged. Well-adapted for hunting large prey Haast’s eagle went extinct due to the inability to adapt
to a reduction in megafauna availability.

Keywords: morphology, New Zealand, Paleornithology, Haast's Eagle

In book

12th Conference of the European Ornithologists' Union

European Ornithologists' Union, 2019.