Dinornis Including‭ ‬D.‭ ‬novaezealandiae,‭ ‬a.k.a.‭ ‬the North Island Giant Moa, and D.‭ ‬robustus,‭ ‬a.k.a.‭ ‬the South Island Giant Moa.

Die-nor-nis.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Dinornis (Terrible bird).

Phonetic

Die-nor-nis.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Aves,‭ ‬Paleognathae,‭ ‬Dinornithiformes,‭ ‬Dinornithidae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

Size

At maximum elevation,‭ ‬3.6‭ ‬meters high‭ (‬for females,‭ ‬see main text for details‭)‬.

Known locations

New Zealand.

Time Period

Late Pleistocene to Holocene.

Fossil representation

Multiple specimens of males and females.

In Depth

Further Reading

-‭ ‬On the remains of Dinornis,‭ ‬an extinct gigantic struthious bird‭ ‬-‭ ‬Richard Owen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1843. -‭ ‬Extreme reversed sexual size dimorphism in the extinct New Zealand moa Dinornis‭ ‬-‭ ‬Michael Bruce,‭ ‬Trevor H.‭ ‬Worthy,‭ ‬Tom Ford,‭ ‬Will Hoppitt,‭ ‬Eske Willerslev,‭ ‬Alexei Drummond‭ & ‬Alan Cooper‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003. -‭ ‬Nuclear DNA sequences detect species limits in ancient moa‭ ‬-‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Huynen,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Millar,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Scofield‭ & ‬D.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Lambert‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003. -‭ ‬Reconstructing the tempo and mode of evolution in an extinct clade of birds with ancient DNA:‭ ‬The giant moas of New Zealand‭ ‬-‭ ‬Allan J.‭ ‬Baker,‭ ‬Leon J.‭ ‬Huynen,‭ ‬Oliver Haddrath,‭ ‬Craig D.‭ ‬Millar‭ & ‬David M.‭ ‬Lambert‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT