When the first
specimens were originally
described by
Richard Owen, they were placed within the
genusDinornis as three different species, but, was later split off into their own genus, Emeus.[7]E. crassus is currently the only species of Emeus, as the other two species, E. casuarinus and E. huttonii are now regarded as synonyms of E. crassus. It has been long suspected that the "species" described as Emeus huttonii and E. crassus were
males and
females, respectively, of a single species. This has been confirmed by analysis for sex-specific genetic markers of
DNA extracted from bone material; the females of E. crassus were 15-25% larger than males.[8] This phenomenon —
sexual dimorphism — is not uncommon amongst ratites, being also very pronounced in
kiwis.
Description
Emeus was of average size, standing 1.5 to 1.8 metres (4.9–5.9 ft) tall. Like other moa, it had no vestigial
wing bones,
hair-like
feathers (
beige in this case), a long
neck and large, powerful
legs with very short, strong tarsi. It also had a
sternum without a keel and a distinctive
palate.[9] Its
feet were exceptionally wide compared to other moas, making it a very slow creature. Soft parts of its body, such as tracheal rings (cartilage) or remnants of skin were found, as well as single bones and complete skeletons. As they neared the head, the feathers grew shorter, until they finally turned into coarse hair-like feathers; the head itself was probably bald.[10]
Range and habitat
Eastern moa lived only on the
South Island, and lived in the lowlands (forests, grasslands, dunelands, and shrublands).[9] During the
Last Glacial Maximum, it was confined to a single
glacial refugium from which its range expanded during the Holocene.[11] Human colonists (specifically the
Māori, who called them "moa mōmona")[1] hunted Emeus into extinction with relative ease. Like all moa, it was gone by the year 1500.
^
abDavies, S. J. J. F. (2003). "Moas". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2 ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 95–98.
ISBN0-7876-5784-0.
Eastern Moa. Emeus crassus. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006