A Goshawk (Aves, Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) from the Lower Pleistocene of Crimea, and Dimorphism in the Foot Structure in Astur gentilis

A new species of goshawk, Astur cimmerius sp. nov., is described based on two complete tarsometatarsi and two pedal phalanges from the Lower Pleistocene (1.8–1.6 Ma ago) of Taurida Cave in Crimea. This is one of the three oldest Astur goshawk finds in the global fossil record, and the oldest find for the Early Pleistocene of Eurasia, which supports the hypothesis of African origin for this phylogenetic lineage. Astur cimmerius is considered a likely ancestor of the extant A. meyerianus, A. gentilis, and A. atricapillus, and might have been widespread in southern Eurasia in the Early Pleistocene. Sexual dimorphism in the tarsometatarsus morphology of extant A. gentilis has been recorded for the first time, which facilitates partitioning of females and males by prey size.