ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the history of both groups of vultures, from the earliest, disputed forms, to the more recognizable species that spawned the Old and New World vultures. The origins of the New World vultures are more disputed than those of the Old World vultures. The New World vultures have been classifi ed within the Acipitridae, Ciconidae, and also independently, in their own Order. The Old World vultures, by contrast, are seen as evolving within the Accipitiformes.
