Cryptogyps lacertosus

Cryptogyps lacertosus is an extinct Old World vulture (Accipitridae) from the Pleistocene of Australia, a continent where Old World vultures are otherwise entirely absent today. A large scavenging raptor weighing an estimated 5–7 kg, it fed on carcasses of Australian megafauna including diprotodons and giant kangaroos. Its extinction coincides with the collapse of the megafauna around 46,000 years ago, removing its primary food source. Its presence in Australia represents a remarkable biogeographic anomaly.