Tuesday, 6 September 2016

1450 Extinction of the moa

The moathe order Dinornithiformes, were nine species (in six genera) of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about 3.6 m (12 ft) in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 kg (510 lb). They were placed in the ratite group, but were the only wingless birds, lacking even the vestigial wings which all other ratites have. When Polynesians settled New Zealand around CE 1280, the moa population was about 58,000.


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