Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a rare fossil belonging to a 25-million-year-old eagle known to prey on koalas.
The Archaehierax sylvestris was one of the first eagles, according to a study published on Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Historical Biology. It dates back to the Oligocene period, 33.9 million to 23 million years ago.
The fossil was found in March 2016 during a research trip by paleontologists from Adelaide's Flinders University to Lake Pinpa in South Australia.
"Lake Pinpa, as a whole, is the most rich fossil site for this time period in South Australia," Trevor Worthy, a vertebrate paleontologist and associate professor at Flinders University, told Live Science.
The earliest known ancestors of modern marsupials, such as bandicoots, possums, kangaroos and wombats, have all been found at the site, along with many plant eating birds such as ducks and cormorants.
But even in this treasure trove of ancient Australian fossils, hawk and eagle specimens have been few and far between, Mr Worthy said.
The newly discovered species is a smaller version of Australia's largest bird of prey, the study showed. It was slender than the wedge-tailed eagle, according to the Western Australia Museum.
The Archaehierax eagle would have had the ability to grasp large prey, given it was nearly 15 centimetres long.
The koalas the eagle was said to have hunted are also extinct, but would probably have been the same size as the koalas today.
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
