Afarensis is a 3.5-2.8 million year old hominin from the Kada Hadar member of the Hadar formation in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. He is approximately 41 inches tall, weighs approximately 60 pounds and has a cranial capacity of a whopping 410 cc (approximately). Afarensis is currently considered to be transitional between apes and humans and displays some traits of both. Since he spends a lot of time on the couch watching monster movies, some observers question whether he is an obligate biped (although no one has observed him climbing a tree). He also has a blog called 
Phorusrhacids were large flightless birds native to South America. The larger species were top predators and the entire group is frequently referred to as "Terror Birds". An article in Nature announces the discovery of one of the largest Phorusrhacid skull ever found.
[Added Later: Darren Naish has two excellent posts on the subject:
Terror Birds and More on phorusrhacids: the biggest, the fastest, the mostest out-of-placest]
The skull is 716 mm long. Also found was a tarsometatarsus. Based on analysis of both, researchers were able to come up with some interesting insights into large Phorusrhacids. First, large Phorusrhacids were not just scaled up versions of smaller species. Second, based on measurements of the tarsometatarsus researchers concluded that the bird was much quicker, locomotion wise, than previously thought.
Source
Chiappe and Bertelli, 2006, Skull morphology of giant terror birds, Nature 443:929
What could be cooler?
Added Later: Since several people have asked, here is an artist reconstruction of what the new find would look like:
Also, according to National Geographic:
The largest terror birds could likely swallow dog-size prey in a single gulp, experts say.
Comments
"Second, based on measurements of the tarsometatarsus researchers concluded that the bird was much quicker, locomotion wise, than previously thought."
So, how quick?
Posted by: J-Dog | October 26, 2006 11:04 AM
They don't say in the Nature article, but National Geographic has an story on it. The National Geographic says:
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | October 26, 2006 11:25 AM
Damn, that's a big bird. Was it yellow?
Posted by: Garrett | October 26, 2006 3:02 PM
Wiley Coyote would have all kinds of trouble with that bird...
Posted by: DouglasG | October 26, 2006 3:18 PM
Given that it's skull is approximately the size of a horse skull, I think it could eat Willey Coyote! National Geo had an artist reconstruction, which has yellow an brown feathers...
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | October 26, 2006 3:28 PM
Well, my little conure bit my tongue last night (she had been viewing it with suspicion ever since I started sticking it out at her) and now instead of feeling peeved (and stupid) I feel lucky (and stupid). There have been bigger and more dangerous beaks in this world; ones that, apparently, could have done far more than just hurt a small section of my tongue.
Posted by: pough | October 26, 2006 3:41 PM
"The skull is 716 mm long." Something in the vicinity of 28 inches, I think. Presumably that includes the beak as well, not just the skull proper?
Posted by: RM1(SS) (ret) | October 26, 2006 6:38 PM
Yes, it includes the beak. Specifically the measurment was from the tip of the rostrum to sagittal nuchal crest. The beak exceeded half the length of the skull.
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | October 26, 2006 7:14 PM