Anatomically Correct Harpy

To me, it is clear we need to start with a bird and evolve human-like features, as opposed to vice-versa. I will start with a bird whose name already implies where we are going- the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja).

To address your definition point-by-point:

• Human hair - The double crest of this eagle hints at hair already. If it expands and becomes rougher over time, it might certainly look like human hair.
• Human face - As I look at pictures, its already close. If the eagle's face moves toward that of its cousins, the barn owls, it might present a human-like appearance.
• Feathered bodies- No change needed.
• Clawed feet - Done.
• Wings and tail - Got it.
• Fly - Yep.
• Live on Earth - Check.
• Eat human food - Ok, we humans do not normally eat sloths and monkeys, but we're capable. Also, we do eat salads, which wouldn't be good for the eagle. Going from a strict carnivore to a more opportunistic feeding habit will take several generations, but it has happened in evolution before.
• Speak/ understand human language- Borrowing from a comment, the eagle needs to learn from parrots, ravens, and similar birds. It will begin with mimicry, and evolve into full speech.

As I score it we begin with 5-and-a-fraction out of 9, with the other 4 totally plausible given the right evolutionary pressures.

Update: What are those evolutionary pressures? In a few words- habitat change or loss. As the creature is pushed further and further out of the rain forests of Central America, it must adapt to the different habitats it encounters.

Hair: I see two possibilities, either climate or prey changes. As it expands its range, it comes into cooler zones and needs more thermal protection for its head. Alternatively, it begins eating something tougher, and needs the crest to be like a helmet- kind of the opposite of why vultures have no head feathers.

Face: Same as the owls, to better see certain prey items, focus the sounds of prey into the ears, and move more stealthily when catching prey.

Food: Its preferred foods are either absent or less easily located in the new habitats. Each generation adapts to eat a wider variety of things.

Speech: Forced into ever closer and more frequent contact with humans, it realizes the advantages of being able to trick them and steal their scraps, not unlike crows already do.

posted about 8 years ago

cobaltduck‭

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