| South Island Giant Moa | |
|---|---|
| Dinornis giganteus skull at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Superorder: | Paleognathae |
| Order: | Struthioniformes |
| Family: | Dinornithidae |
| Genus: | Dinornis |
| Species: | Dinornis giganteus (Owen, 1844)[1] |
| Binomial name | |
| D. giganteus (Owen, 1844) |
|
The South Island Giant Moa, Dinornis giganteus is a member of the Moa family. It was a ratite and a member of the Struthioniformes Order. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds with a sternum without a keel. They also have a distinctive palate. The origin of these birds is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas that they have been found in.[2]
It lived on the South Island of New Zealand, and its habitat was the lowlands (shrubland, duneland, grassland, and forests).[2]
Contents |