Moa’s Ark: Miocene fossils reveal the great antiquity of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) in Zealandia

Alan Tennyson; Trevor H. Worthy; Craig Jones; Richard Scofield; Suzanne Hand

doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1546

Moa’s Ark: Miocene fossils reveal the great antiquity of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) in Zealandia

Alan Tennyson, Trevor H. Worthy, Craig Jones, Richard Scofield, Suzanne Hand

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Fossil eggshell and bone fragments from New Zealand's Miocene St Bathans Fauna indicate that two taxa of giant flightless moa (one weighing 20-25 kg and another much larger than this) were present in Zealandia 19-16 Ma. Contrary to recent suggestions, we conclude that moa have a long history in Zealandia, almost certainly extending to before the Oligocène "drowning". This conclusion is consistent with biotic evidence from other sources, which indicates a great antiquity of several Zealandian animals and plants.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	105-114
Number of pages	10
Journal	Records of The Australian Museum
Volume	62
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1546
Publication status	Published - 26 May 2010

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10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1546

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abstract = "Fossil eggshell and bone fragments from New Zealand's Miocene St Bathans Fauna indicate that two taxa of giant flightless moa (one weighing 20-25 kg and another much larger than this) were present in Zealandia 19-16 Ma. Contrary to recent suggestions, we conclude that moa have a long history in Zealandia, almost certainly extending to before the Oligoc{\`e}ne {"}drowning{"}. This conclusion is consistent with biotic evidence from other sources, which indicates a great antiquity of several Zealandian animals and plants.",

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Moa’s Ark: Miocene fossils reveal the great antiquity of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) in Zealandia

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