Cryptogyps Mather, Lee and Worthy 2022

Mather, Ellen K., Lee, Michael S. Y. & Worthy, Trevor H., 2022, A new look at an old Australian raptor places “ Taphaetus ” lacertosus de Vis 1905 in the Old World vultures (Accipitridae: Aegypiinae), Zootaxa 5168 (1), pp. 1-23 : 7

Cryptogyps Mather, Lee and Worthy 2022 gen. nov.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 6CD1D60A-5B25-4431-8FB2-BD5EE5EAFE77

Type species: ‘ Taphaetus’ lacertosus de Vis, 1905 : Annals of the Queensland Museum 6: 4, pl. 1, fig. 1 .

Etymology: The name is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words ‘ kryptós ’ (hidden) and ‘ gýps ’ (vulture), in reference to the fact that this taxon was known for over 100 years but was generally believed to be an eagle. Cryptogyps also relates to the word ‘crypt’, a word used to describe an underground burial chamber, referencing the discovery of the new material in caves.

Revised diagnosis: A large accipitrid, similar in size to Aquila audax , with humeri differing from all other Accipitridae by the following combination of characters: (1) a prominent dorsal convexity of the facies between the tuberculum supracondylare dorsale and the epicondylus dorsalis; (2) a strongly dorsally projecting tuberculum supracondylare dorsale; (3) a distinct and deepened attachment for the origin of m. extensor digitorum communi; (4) a large, shallow, circular attachment scar for the origin of the proximal head of m. pronator superficialis (=pronator brevis); (5) t he epicondylus ventralis is strongly projected ventrally as a craniocaudally elongate peak; (6) t he processus flexorius is distally short, ending proximal to the distal margin of the condylus ventralis; (7) and it has a narrow sulcus/groove for the dorsal belly of the m. humerotricipitalis.