Difference between revisions of "Moa"
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{{Taxonomy | {{Taxonomy | ||
|name=Moa | |name=Moa | ||
| − | |image= | + | |image=Dinornis robustus.jpg |
| − | |caption= | + | |caption=South Island giant moa<br/>''Dinornis robustus'' |
|domain=Eukaryota | |domain=Eukaryota | ||
|kingdom=Animalia | |kingdom=Animalia | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
|conservation=Extinct | |conservation=Extinct | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''Moa''' were a number of species of large, flightless birds, [[endemic]] to New Zealand | + | '''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. |
==Species== | ==Species== | ||
Revision as of 07:34, November 10, 2014
| Moa | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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.
Species
Order Dinornithiformes
- Family Dinornithidae
- Genus Dinornis
- North Island giant moa, Dinornis novaezealandiae
- South Island giant moa, Dinornis robustus
- Family Emeidae
- Genus Anomalopteryx
- Bush moa, Anomalopteryx didiformis
- Genus Emeus
- Eastern moa, Emeus crassus
- Genus Euryapteryx
- Coastal moa, Euryapteryx curtus
- 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-1700's, 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]