Mantell's moa

Mantell's moa
Tarsometatarsus of Pachyornis geranoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Superorder: Paleognathae
Order: Struthioniformes
Family: Dinornithidae
Genus: Pachyornis
Species: Pachyornis geranoides
(Owen, 1848)[1]
Binomial name
Pachyornis geranoides
(Owen, 1848) Worthy 2005[2]
Synonyms

Mantell's moa (Pachyornis geranoides) also known as Mappin's moa[3] is an extinct species of New Zealand birds of the family Moa. These moa lived in the North and the South Islands, and on Stewart Island. Its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests).[4] 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.[4]

Footnotes

References

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