Difference between revisions of "Moa"

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(New page: '''Moa''' are an extinct bird, belonging to the order Dinornithiformes, which is endemic to New Zealand. Like kiwis they are very ancient birds of uncertain relationship. Their earliest fo...)
 
(→‎Extinction: Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: 1700's → 1700s)
 
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'''Moa''' are an extinct bird, belonging to the order Dinornithiformes, which is endemic to New Zealand. Like kiwis they are very ancient birds of uncertain relationship. Their earliest fossils date from the upper Miocene era – approximately 15 million years ago – but their origin is certainly much earlier. Together with the elephant birds of Madagascar, they comprise some of the largest of all birds though some species were of moderate size. Moas were flightless Ratite birds (that is, with no keel to the raft-shaped breastbone or sternum), and are now extinct. Two families, six genera, and about 25 species are recognised. They occurred in North, South, and Stewart Islands, with South Island supporting the most species, about 19, and with Stewart Island the least, two. The process of extinction of moas was probably greatly accelerated following the arrival of man in New Zealand before A.D. 1000. The earliest Polynesian inhabitants, the moa hunters, used moas for food, their bones for implements and ornaments; the eggs were used for water bottles. Giant moas were probably extinct about A.D. 1500; the smaller bush moas may have lingered on in remote parts of the South Island until the early nineteenth century.
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{{Taxonomy
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|name=Moa
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|image=Dinornis robustus.jpg
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|caption=South Island giant moa<br/>''Dinornis robustus''
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|domain=Eukaryota
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|kingdom=Animalia
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|subkingdom=Bilateria
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|branch=Deuterostomia
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|superphylum=
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|phylum=Chordata
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|subphylum=Vertebrata
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|infraphylum=Gnathostomata
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|microphylum=
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|superdivision=
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|division=
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|subdivision=
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|superclass=Tetrapoda
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|class=Aves
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|subclass=Neornithes
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|infraclass=Neoaves
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|superorder=Apterygimorphae
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|order=Dinornithiformes
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|suborder=
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|infraorder=
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|superfamily= 
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|families=
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|family=
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|subfamily= 
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|supertribe=
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|tribe=
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|subtribe=
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|genera=
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|species=
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|binomialname=
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|syn=
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|alt=
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|regionimg=
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|pop=
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|conservation=Extinct
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}}
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'''Moa''' were a number of species of large, flightless birds, [[endemic]] to New Zealand, ranging in size from a little larger than a turkey to 13 feet tall, the tallest known birds. They were hunted to extinction shortly after the arrival of the native [[Maori]] population in the mid-15th century.
  
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Moas had massive skeletons with small, broad, flattened skulls, short bills, and no wings. Their feathers were similar to those of the emu. The largest egg known is about 10 by 7 in. In New Zealand moas took the place of absent grazing and browsing mammals, and apparently fed mainly on grass, leaves, and fruits. In some places deposits of gizzard stones of white quartz have been discovered. Bones are found mainly in swamps and caves, the first being discovered in the early 1830s.
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==Description==
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Moas were stout-bodied birds with long necks and large legs.  Illustrations depict them as being entirely erect in the manner of ostriches, but in reality their posture was that of emus or cassowaries, the body kept horizontal when walking, with the neck held in a gentle forward loop.  The head was relatively small in relation to the body, with small eye sockets and large olfactory regions, indicating they may have had poor eyesight but a good sense of smell.  Moas are also distinctive in that they are the only birds known not to have wings, not even vestigial ones.
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The only feathers known come from the upland moa (''Megalapteryx didinus''), with were dark at the base, gradually turning to a greyish-white at the tip, and possibly giving the live bird a light speckling appearance over a dark coat.  They were rough and rather hair-like in texture, similar to a kiwi, lacking the barbules which link the filaments together as in other birds.
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==Species==
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Order Dinornithiformes
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*Family Dinornithidae
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:Genus ''Dinornis''
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::North Island giant moa, ''Dinornis novaezealandiae''
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::South Island giant moa, ''Dinornis robustus''
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*Family Emeidae
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:Genus ''Anomalopteryx''
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::Little bush moa, ''Anomalopteryx didiformis''
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:Genus ''Emeus''
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::Eastern moa, ''Emeus crassus''
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:Genus ''Euryapteryx''
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::Coastal moa, ''Euryapteryx curtus''
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::Stout-legged moa, ''Euryapteryx gravis''
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:Genus ''Pachyornis''
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::Crested moa, ''Pachyornis australis''
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::Heavy-footed moa, ''Pachyornis elephantopus''
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::Mantell's moa, ''Pachyornis geranoides''
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*Family Megalapterygidae
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:Genus ''Megalapteryx''
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::Upland moa, ''Megalapteryx didinus''
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==Extinction==
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Prior to the arrival of man the nine species of moa had one natural predator, [[Haast's eagle]] (''Harpagornis moorei''). In about the year 1280 the Maori arrived and began the first human settlements and the clearing of land for farming.  Hunting was also an activity, and the only large animals of any kind in New Zealand were moas.  It had been estimated previously that hunting and habitat change caused the gradual extinction of the moas by the late-1700s, however, recent carbon-14 studies on trash middens have shown that all moa species became extinct by 1445, a span of less than 200 years after man's arrival.<ref>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379114003734</ref><ref>http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/10658261/Moa-extinction-rapid-study</ref> 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/Moa/Moa/en Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Moa]
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{{Reflist}}
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[http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/Moa/Moa/en Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Moa]<br />
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[http://www.terranature.org/moa.htm Moa on TerraNature]
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Flightless Birds]][[Category:Extinct Birds]][[Category:Extinct Animals]][[Category:Ratites]]

Latest revision as of 17:54, July 27, 2016

Moa
Dinornis robustus.jpg
South Island giant moa
Dinornis robustus
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain Eukaryota
Kingdom Animalia
Subkingdom Bilateria
Branch Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum Chordata
Sub-phylum Vertebrata
Infraphylum Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass Tetrapoda
Class Aves
Sub-class Neornithes
Infra-class Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder Apterygimorphae
Order Dinornithiformes
Population statistics
Conservation status Extinct

Moa were a number of species of large, flightless birds, endemic to New Zealand, ranging in size from a little larger than a turkey to 13 feet tall, the tallest known birds. They were hunted to extinction shortly after the arrival of the native Maori population in the mid-15th century.

Description

Moas were stout-bodied birds with long necks and large legs. Illustrations depict them as being entirely erect in the manner of ostriches, but in reality their posture was that of emus or cassowaries, the body kept horizontal when walking, with the neck held in a gentle forward loop. The head was relatively small in relation to the body, with small eye sockets and large olfactory regions, indicating they may have had poor eyesight but a good sense of smell. Moas are also distinctive in that they are the only birds known not to have wings, not even vestigial ones.

The only feathers known come from the upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus), with were dark at the base, gradually turning to a greyish-white at the tip, and possibly giving the live bird a light speckling appearance over a dark coat. They were rough and rather hair-like in texture, similar to a kiwi, lacking the barbules which link the filaments together as in other birds.

Species

Order Dinornithiformes

  • Family Dinornithidae
Genus Dinornis
North Island giant moa, Dinornis novaezealandiae
South Island giant moa, Dinornis robustus
  • Family Emeidae
Genus Anomalopteryx
Little bush moa, Anomalopteryx didiformis
Genus Emeus
Eastern moa, Emeus crassus
Genus Euryapteryx
Coastal moa, Euryapteryx curtus
Stout-legged moa, Euryapteryx gravis
Genus Pachyornis
Crested moa, Pachyornis australis
Heavy-footed moa, Pachyornis elephantopus
Mantell's moa, Pachyornis geranoides
  • Family Megalapterygidae
Genus Megalapteryx
Upland moa, Megalapteryx didinus

Extinction

Prior to the arrival of man the nine species of moa had one natural predator, Haast's eagle (Harpagornis moorei). In about the year 1280 the Maori arrived and began the first human settlements and the clearing of land for farming. Hunting was also an activity, and the only large animals of any kind in New Zealand were moas. It had been estimated previously that hunting and habitat change caused the gradual extinction of the moas by the late-1700s, however, recent carbon-14 studies on trash middens have shown that all moa species became extinct by 1445, a span of less than 200 years after man's arrival.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379114003734
  2. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/10658261/Moa-extinction-rapid-study

Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Moa
Moa on TerraNature

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