Heavy-footed moa

Heavy-footed moa
P. elephantopus skeleton photographed by Roger Fenton
Conservation status
Extinct
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Superorder:	Paleognathae
Order:	Struthioniformes
Family:	Dinornithidae
Genus:	Pachyornis
Species:	Pachyornis elephantopus (Owen, 1856)
Binomial name
Pachyornis elephantopus (Owen, 1856) Lydekker 1891 non Cracraft 1976
Synonyms
List Dinornis elephantopus Owen, 1856 Euryapteryx elephantopus (Owen 1856) Hutton 1892 Dinornis queenslandiae De Vis, 1884 Pachyornis queenslandiae (De Vis 1884) Oliver 1949 Dromiceius queenslandiae (De Vis 1884) Miller 1963 Euryapteryx ponderosus Hutton, 1891 non Hamilton 1898 Pachyornis immanus Lydekker, 1891 Euryapteryx immanis (Lydekker 1891) Lambrecht 1933 Pachyornis inhabilis Hutton, 1893 Pachyornis major Hutton, 1875 Pachyornis rothschildi Lydekker, 1892 Pachyornis valgus Hutton, 1893 Euryapteryx crassa Benham 1910 non (Owen 1846) Hutton 1896 Pachyornis murihiku Oliver 1949

The heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) is a species of moa from the family Dinornithidae. This moa was widespread on the South Island only, and its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, dunelands, grasslands, and forests). It was a ratite and a member of the order Struthioniformes. 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 in which they have been found.

The heavy-footed moa was about 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall, and weighed as much as 145 kg (320 lb).

The heavy-footed moa was discovered by W.B.D. Mantell at Awamoa, near Oamaru, and the bones were taken by him to England. Bones from multiple birds were used to make a full skeleton, which was then put in the British Museum. The name Dinornis elephantopus was given by Richard Owen.

The heavy-footed moa was found only on the South Island of New Zealand. Their range covered much of the eastern side of the island, with a northern and southern variant of the species.

They were a primarily lowland species, preferring dry and open habitats such as grasslands, shrublands and dry forests. They were absent from sub-alpine and mountain habitats, where they were replaced by the crested moa (Pachyornis australis).

During the -Holocene warming event, the retreat of glacial ice meant that the heavy-footed moa’s preferred habitat area increased, allowing their distribution across the island to increase as well.

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Wikipedia