Once upon a time, giant eagles ruled the sky. They kidnapped human children and shaped our evolution

Eagles chasing children might be more than just an ancient story. A 19th-century news report from Tennessee tells of a child carried away by a “great gray eagle” after it swooped down and “attached its immense claws to the little boy’s clothes.” A servant girl chased him as the bird flew away. Then, three kilometers away, the bird momentarily dropped off its prey. A nearby hunter let out a “vigorous howl,” frightening the bird. Fortunately, the “pink, healthy, healthy boy” was not injured.