Emeus crassus (Eastern Moa)

[surroundx]

Smith, Ian. (1999). Settlement Permanence and Function at Pleasant River Mouth, East Otago, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Archaeology 19: 27-79.

[surroundx]

Seersholm, Frederik V. et al. (2018). Subsistence practices, past biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts revealed by New Zealand-wide ancient DNA survey. PNAS. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1803573115 [Supplementary information]

[Melanie]

Genetic evidence for post-glacial expansion from a southern refugium in the eastern moa (Emeus crassus)

Abstract

Cycles of glacial expansion and contraction throughout the Pleistocene drove increases and decreases, respectively, in the geographical range and population size of many animal species. Genetic data have revealed that during glacial maxima the distribution of many Eurasian animals was restricted to small refugial areas, from which species expanded to reoccupy parts of their former range as the climate warmed. It has been suggested that the extinct eastern moa (Emeus crassus)—a large, flightless bird from New Zealand—behaved analogously during glacial maxima, possibly surviving only in a restricted area of lowland habitat in the southern South Island of New Zealand during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, previous studies have lacked the power and geographical sampling to explicitly test this hypothesis using genetic data. Here we analyse 46 ancient mitochondrial genomes from Late Pleistocene and Holocene bones of the eastern moa from across their post-LGM distribution. Our results are consistent with a post-LGM increase in the population size and genetic diversity of eastern moa. We also demonstrate that genetic diversity was higher in eastern moa from the southern extent of their range, supporting the hypothesis that they expanded from a single glacial refugium following the LGM.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0013

www.sci-news.com/paleontology/eastern-moa-distribution-10796.html

[Sebbe]

Augustus Hamilton’s fossil collection at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Augustus Hamilton (1853–1913) was a New Zealand ethnologist and naturalist who amassed a significant collection of fossils, mostly of birds, during his career. Today, those fossils are housed in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (NMNZ). While some fossils have been catalogued and integrated into the collection of the NMNZ, a large part remained unsorted and uncatalogued. The present study brings an integrated view of Hamilton’s collection at the NMNZ, highlighting the most significant fossils. In total, there are 3692 specimen lots collected by Hamilton in the NMNZ representing a large sample of taxa and a wide range of locations around Aotearoa New Zealand. Most fossils are of Holocene age and belong to birds. The collection includes type specimens, circa 250 specimen lots belonging to extinct species, and specimens belonging to otherwise poorly represented species in natural history collections. We hope that our study makes Hamilton’s fossils visible and more readily available for future research.

tuhinga.arphahub.com/article/97731/

[redpinnipedgamer]

Paleoart Recon I did!

[redpinnipedgamer]

Mummified Eastern Moa Neck found in Earnscleugh Cave, Central Otago
(Sadly the origional article that had this photo has been taken down but more photos of this specimen is found at Otago Museum)

otagomuseum.nz/collections/search-the-collection/AV7504

www.researchgate.net/figure/Desiccated-neck-of-eastern-moa-Emeus-crassus-Owen-1846-collected-from-Earnscleugh_fig3_232121803






Femur and fibia of eastern moa with some attached mummified flesh tissue. From the same article that since been taken down but IDK where it's held at.



www.researchgate.net/figure/Right-femur-and-fibula-of-eastern-moa-Emeus-crassus-Owen-1846-with-desiccated-soft_fig3_232985591