Editing Accipitridae (section)

=== Fossil record ===
[[File:Neophrontops americanus.jpg|thumb|upright|''Neophrontops americanus'' fossil]]
[[File:Neogyps errans.jpg|thumb|upright|''Neogyps errans'' fossil]]
As with most other birds of prey, the [[fossil]] record of this group is fairly complete from the latter [[Eocene]] onwards (c.35 [[mya (unit)|mya]]), with modern genera being well documented since the [[Early Oligocene]], or around 30 mya.
* ''[[Milvoides]]'' (Late Eocene of England)
* ''[[Aquilavus]]'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene – Early Miocene of France)<!-- authority may be Brodkorb 1964, not Lambrecht 1933, nomen nudum. But see Condor54:174 -->
* ''[[Palaeocircus]]'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of France)
* ''[[Aviraptor]]'' (Early Oligocene of [[Poland]])<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Gerald Mayr |author2=Jørn H. Hurum |year=2020 |title=A tiny, long-legged raptor from the early Oligocene of Poland may be the earliest bird-eating diurnal bird of prey |journal=The Science of Nature |volume=107 |issue=6 |pages=Article number 48 |doi=10.1007/s00114-020-01703-z| pmc=7544617  |pmid=33030604|bibcode=2020SciNa.107...48M |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* ''[[Palaeastur]]'' (Agate Fossil Beds, Early Miocene of Sioux County, US)<!-- Condor45:229 -->
* ''[[Pengana]]'' (Early Miocene of Riversleigh, Australia)
* ''[[Promilio]]'' (Agate Fossil Beds Early Miocene of Sioux County, US)
* ''[[Proictinia]]'' (Early – Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of C and SE US)<!-- BullAMNH48:483; Condor58:367 -->
* ''[[Neophrontops]]'' (Early/Middle Miocene – Late Pleistocene) – formerly in ''Neophron''<!-- sp. (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, US), vetustus, dakotensis, americanus, slaughteri, vallecitoensis, ricardoensis Auk112:890; CaribbJSci40:120; Condor37:72; Condor41:153; Condor45:229; Condor79:494; Condor96:577 -->
* ''[[Mioaegypius]]'' (Xiacaowan Middle Miocene of Sihong, China)
* ''[[Apatosagittarius]]'' (Late Miocene of Nebraska, US)
* ''[[Gansugyps]]'' (Liushu Late Miocene of China)
* ''[[Palaeoborus]]'' (Miocene)<!-- Condor41:153 -->
* ''[[Qiluornis]]'' (Miocene of Shandong, China)
* ''[[Garganoaetus]]'' (Early Pliocene of Gargano Peninsula, Italy)
* ''[[Dynatoaetus]]'' (Pliocene – Pleistocene of [[South Australia]], [[Australia]])
* ''[[Amplibuteo]]'' (Late Pliocene of Peru – Late Pleistocene of southern North America and Cuba) – may belong to extant genus ''Harpyhaliaetus''<!-- Auk112:890; CaribbJSci40:120; Evolution38:1384 -->
* ''[[Neogyps]]''<!-- Pleistocene? Auk112:890; CaribbJSci40:120; Condor37:72; Condor41:153; Condor96:577 -->
* ''[[Palaeohierax]]'' – includes ''"Aquila" gervaisii''

Accipitrids are known since [[Early Eocene]] times, or about from 50 mya onwards, but these early remains are too fragmentary and/or [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] to properly assign a place in the [[phylogeny]]. Likewise, molecular methods are of limited value in determining [[evolution]]ary relationships of and within the accipitrids. The group may have originated on either side of the [[Atlantic]], which during that time was only 60–80% its present width. As evidenced by fossils like ''[[Pengana]]'', some 25 mya, accipitrids in all likelihood rapidly acquired a global distribution, initially probably extending even to [[Antarctica]].

* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Huerfano Early Eocene of Huerfano County, US)<ref name="Specimen-Cracraft1969" />
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Borgloon Early Oligocene of Hoogbutsel, Belgium)<ref name="Tarso-Smith2003" />
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Bathans Early/Middle Miocene of Otago, New Zealand)<ref name="ulna-Worthy-etal2006" />
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. MPEF-PV-2523 (Puerto Madryn Late Miocene of Estancia La Pastosa, Argentina)
* ''"Aquila" danana'' (Snake Creek Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Loup Fork, US) – formerly also ''Geranoaetus'' or ''Buteo''<!-- Auk50:212; Condor44:39 -->
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Early/Middle Pliocene of Kern County, US) – ''Parabuteo''?<ref name="tibia-Miller1931" />
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene of Ibiza, Mediterranean) – ''Buteo''?{{sfn|Alcover|1989}}
* Accipitridae gen. et sp. indet. (Egypt)

Specimen [[AMNH]] FR 2941, a left [[coracoid]] from the Late Eocene [[Irdin Manha Formation]] of Chimney Butte ([[Inner Mongolia]]), was initially assessed as a basal mid-sized buteonine;{{sfn|Wetmore|1934|p=}} it is today considered to be more likely to belong in the [[Gruiformes]] genus ''[[Eogrus]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=AMNH FR 2941 specimen information |publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]] (AMNH) |year=2007 |url=http://paleo.amnh.org/search.php?action=detail&specimen_id=44309 |access-date=2011-05-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143813/http://paleo.amnh.org/search.php?action=detail&specimen_id=44309 |archive-date=13 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Early Oligocene]] genus ''[[Cruschedula]]'' was formerly thought to belong to [[Spheniscidae]], however reexamination of the holotype in 1943 resulted in the genus being placed in Accipitridae.<ref name="Simpson1946" /> Further examination in 1980 resulted in placement as Aves ''incertae sedis''.{{sfn|Olson|1985}}