The eastern moa (''Emeus crassus'') is an
extinct species of
moa
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as
Kale moa and Moa Samoa.
Moa or MOA may also refe ...
. When the first specimens were originally described by
Richard Owen, they were placed within the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Dinornis
The giant moa (''Dinornis'') is an extinct genus of birds belonging to the moa family. As with other moa, it was a member of the order Dinornithiformes. It was endemic to New Zealand. Two species of ''Dinornis'' are considered valid, the North ...
'' as three different species, but, was later split off into their own genus, ''Emeus''. ''E. crassus'' is currently the only species of ''Emeus'', as the other two species, ''E. casuarinus'' and ''E. huttonii'' are now regarded as synonyms of ''E. crassus''. It has been long suspected that the "species" described as ''Emeus huttonii'' and ''E. crassus'' were males and females, respectively, of a single species. This has been confirmed by analysis for sex-specific genetic markers of DNA extracted from bone material; the females of ''E. crassus'' were 15-25% larger than males.
[Huynen, L. J., ''et al.'' (2003)] This phenomenon — reverse size dimorphism — is not uncommon amongst ratites, being also very pronounced in
kiwi
Kiwi most commonly refers to:
* Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand
* Kiwi (nickname), a nickname for New Zealanders
* Kiwifruit, an edible berry
* Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of currency
Kiwi or KIWI may also ref ...
s.
Description
''Emeus'' was of average size, standing tall. Like other moa, it had no vestigial
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
bones,
hair-like
feathers
Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
(beige in this case), a long neck and large, powerful legs with very short, strong tarsi. It also had a
sternum
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. Sha ...
without a keel and a distinctive
palate
The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...
.
Its feet were exceptionally wide compared to other moas, making it a very slow creature. Soft parts of its body, such as tracheal rings (cartilage) or remnants of skin were found, as well as single bones and complete skeletons. As they neared the head, the feathers grew shorter, until they finally turned into coarse hair-like feathers; the head itself was probably bald.
Range and habitat
Eastern moa lived only on the
South Island, and lived in the lowlands (forests, grasslands, dunelands, and shrublands).
[Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)] Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
colonists hunted ''Emeus'' into extinction with relative ease. Like almost all moa, it was gone by the year 1500.
Footnotes
References
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External links
''Eastern Moa. Emeus crassus.''by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book ''Extinct Birds of New Zealand'', by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1268926
Extinct flightless birds
Extinct birds of New Zealand
Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
Ratites
Holocene extinctions