careful study of the remains suggests that their apparent similarity to ratites is misleading. they actually combine a number of traits not found in any known ratite lineage, and in particularly not in the ostriches and elephant birds (the only ratites biogeographically close to "eremopezus"). moreover, the prehistoric bird had several peculiar traits not at all found in ratites, but present in certain neognaths: its toes were widely divergent and could flex through a wide range of positions, while strong tendons gave the bird a firm grip. in the associated anatomical details, "e. eocaenus" resembled the secretarybird ("sagittarius serpentarius") and the shoebill ("balaeniceps rex"), two rather singular african endemics. nonetheless, more recent studies seem to group it among "aepyornithid-like" taxa.