Stout-legged moa
Encyclopedia
The Stout-legged Moa is an extinct species
of New Zealand birds of the Family Moa
. These moa lived on North Island
, South Island
, and on Stewart Island. Its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests). It was a ratite
and a member of the Struthioniform
Order
. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds, whose sternum
lacks a keel and whose palate
is distinctive. The origin of the Stout-legged Moa is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas where their remains have been recovered.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of New Zealand birds of the Family Moa
Moa
The moa were eleven species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about ....
. These moa lived on North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, and on Stewart Island. Its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests). It was a ratite
Ratite
A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
and a member of the Struthioniform
Ratite
A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
Order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds, whose sternum
Sternum
The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bony plate shaped like a capital "T" located anteriorly to the heart in the center of the thorax...
lacks a keel and whose palate
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 separate. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior...
is distinctive. The origin of the Stout-legged Moa is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas where their remains have been recovered.