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Moa-nalo
The moa-nalo are a group of extinct aberrant, goose-like ducks that lived on the larger Hawaiian Islands, except Hawaii (island), Hawaii itself, in the Pacific. They were the major herbivores on most of these islands until they became extinct after human settlement. Description The moa-nalo (the name literally means "lost fowl"; the plural and the singular are the same) were long unknown to science, having been wiped out before the arrival of James Cook (1778). In the early 1980s, their subfossil remains were discovered in sand dunes on the islands of Molokai, Molokai and Kauai, Kauai. Subsequently, bones were found on Maui, Oahu, Oahu, and Lanai, Lānai, in lava tubes, lake beds, and sinkholes. They represent four species in three genus, genera so far: * ''Chelychelynechen quassus'' (turtle-jawed moa-nalo) from Kauai * ''Ptaiochen pau'' (small-billed moa-nalo) from Maui * ''Thambetochen xanion'' (O'ahu moa-nalo) from Oahu * ''Thambetochen chauliodous'' (Maui Nui large-billed m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small-billed Moa-nalo
The small-billed moa-nalo (''Ptaiochen pau''), also known as the stumbling moa-nalo, is a species of moa-nalo, one of a group of extinct, flightless, large goose-like ducks, which evolved in the Hawaiian Islands of the North Pacific Ocean. It was described in 1991 from subfossil material collected in September 1982 by Storrs Olson, Helen James and others, from the Auwahi Cave on the southern slopes of Haleakalā, on the island of Maui. Etymology The generic name ''Ptaiochen'' links the Greek ' ("stumble"), with ''chen'' ("goose"), alluding to a fancied propensity of the species to fall into holes (thereby becoming part of the fossil record). The specific epithet is from the Hawaiian ("finished" or "destroyed"), referring to its extinction. Description The species was similar to moa-nalo in the genus ''Thambetochen'' in having bony, tooth-like projections on the jaws. However, it differed in other aspects of skull morphology, such as in having a proportionately shorter and deep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maui Nui Large-billed Moa-nalo
The Maui Nui large-billed moa-nalo (''Thambetochen chauliodous''), also known as the Maui Nui moa-nalo, is one of two species of moa-nalo in the genus ''Thambetochen''. Moa-nalo are a group of extinct, flightless, large goose-like ducks, which evolved in the Hawaiian Islands of the North Pacific Ocean. Distribution and habitat The genus and species were originally described in 1976 from subfossil material collected from the Moomomi Dunes, on the island of Molokai. Remains of the bird have also been recovered from Ilio Point on Molokai as well as from lava tubes on the southern slopes of the volcanic mountain of Haleakalā on the nearby island of Maui. Both Molokai and Maui are parts of what used to be the much larger prehistoric island of Maui Nui, to which the species appears to have been endemic. The bird evidently shared the island with another moa-nalo—the smaller small-billed moa-nalo The small-billed moa-nalo (''Ptaiochen pau''), also known as the stumbling moa-nalo, is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turtle-jawed Moa-nalo
The turtle-jawed moa-nalo (''Chelychelynechen quassus''), also formerly referred to as the large Kauai goose, is a species of moa-nalo (a group of extinct, flightless, large goose-like ducks), which evolved in the Hawaiian Islands of the North Pacific Ocean. It was described in 1991 from subfossil material collected in 1976 by Storrs Olson from the calcareous Makawehi dunes on the south-eastern coast of the island of Kauai. Its remains have also been found at the nearby Makauwahi Cave site. Taxonomy The generic name ''Chelychelynechen'' comes from the Greek ''chelys'' ("turtle"), ''chelyne'' ("lip" or "jaw"), with ''chen'' ("goose"), referring to the distinctly turtle-like appearance and structure of the beak. The specific epithet is from the Latin ("broken" or "shattered"), alluding to the fragmentary condition of the type material. It is monotypic in the genus ''Chelychelynechen.'' Description Apart from the head, the bird was similar to other moa-nalo species, with robust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flightless Bird
Flightless birds are birds that cannot Bird flight, fly, as they have, through evolution, lost the ability to. There are over 60 extant species, including the well-known ratites (ostriches, emus, cassowary, cassowaries, Rhea (bird), rheas, and Kiwi (bird), kiwis) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island rail (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7 g). The largest (both heaviest and tallest) flightless bird, which is also the largest living bird in general, is the common ostrich (2.7 m, 156 kg). Many domesticated birds, such as the domestic chicken and domestic duck, have lost the ability to fly for extended periods, although their ancestral species, the red junglefowl and mallard, respectively, are capable of extended flight. A few particularly bred birds, such as the Broad Breasted White turkey, have become totally flightless as a result of selective breeding; the birds were bred to grow massive breast meat that weighs too much for the bird's wings ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thambetochen
Thambetochen is an extinct genus of moa-nalo duck. It contains two species, the Maui Nui moa-nalo (''T. chauliodous'') and the smaller O'ahu moa-nalo (''T. xanion''). The former was found on Maui and Molokai on Hawaii, the latter was found on Oahu. These birds were large, flightless ducks, with robust legs but small wings, which had evolved in isolation, on islands without terrestrial mammals. Their beaks had tooth-like lamella (anatomy), lamellae and their diet was plants which they digested through hindgut fermentation. These birds were likely driven to extinction when the islands were colonised by Polynesians. References [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maui
Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of Maui County, Hawaii, Maui County's five islands, along with Molokai, Molokai, Lanai, Lānai, Kahoʻolawe, Kahoolawe, and Molokini. In 2020, Maui had a population of 168,307, the third-highest of the Hawaiian Islands, behind Oahu, Oahu and Hawaii (island), Hawaii Island. Kahului, Hawaii, Kahului is the largest census-designated place (CDP) on the island, with a 2020 population of 28,219. It is Maui's commercial and financial hub. Wailuku, Hawaii, Wailuku is the county seat and was the third-largest CDP . Other significant populated areas include Kihei, Hawaii, Kīhei (including Wailea, Hawaii, Wailea and Makena, Hawaii, Makena in the Kihei Town CDP), Lahaina, Hawaii, Lāhainā (including Kaanapali, Kāanapali and Kapalua in the Lāhainā T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maui Nui
Maui Nui is a modern Geology, geologists' name given to a prehistoric Hawaii, Hawaiian island and the corresponding modern Biogeography, biogeographic region. Maui Nui is composed of four modern islands: Maui, Molokai, Molokaʻi, Lanai, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. Administratively, the four modern islands comprise Maui County, Hawaii, Maui County (and a tiny part of Molokaʻi called Kalawao County, Hawaii, Kalawao County). Long after the breakup of Maui Nui, the four modern islands retained plant and animal life similar to each other. Thus, Maui Nui is not only a prehistoric island but also a modern Biogeography, biogeographic region. Geology Maui Nui formed and broke up during the Pleistocene Epoch, which lasted from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago. Maui Nui is built from seven Shield volcano, shield volcanoes. The three oldest are Penguin Bank, West Molokai Volcano, West Molokaʻi, and East Molokai Volcano, East Molokaʻi, which probably range from slightly over to sl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merganser
''Mergus'' is the genus of the typical mergansers ( ) fish-eating ducks in the subfamily Anatinae. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny the Elder and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird. The common merganser (''Mergus merganser'') and red-breasted merganser (''M. serrator'') have broad ranges in the northern hemisphere. The Brazilian merganser (''M. octosetaceus'') is a South American duck, and one of the six most threatened waterfowl in the world, with possibly fewer than 250 birds in the wild. The scaly-sided merganser or "Chinese merganser" (''M. squamatus'') is an endangered species. It lives in temperate East Asia, breeding in the north and wintering in the south. The hooded merganser (''Lophodytes cucullatus'', formerly known as ''Mergus cucullatus'') is not of this genus but is closely related. The other "aberrant" merganser, the smew (''Mergellus albellus''), is phylogenetically closer to goldeneyes (''Bucephala''). Although they are se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tortoise
Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backward into the shell to protect them. Tortoises can vary in size with some species, such as the Galápagos giant tortoise, growing to more than in length, whereas others like the Speckled cape tortoise have shells that measure only long. Several lineages of tortoises have independently evolved very large body sizes in excess of , including the Galapagos giant tortoise and the Aldabra giant tortoise. They are usually diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals. Tortoises are the longest-living land animals in the world, although the longest-living species of tortois ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
O'ahu Moa-nalo
Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands constitute the City and County of Honolulu. In 2021, Oahu had a population of 995,638, up from 953,207 in 2010 (approximately 70% of the total 1,455,271 population of the Hawaiian Islands, with approximately 81% of those living in or near the Honolulu urban area). Oahu is long and across. Its shoreline is long. Including small associated islands such as Ford Island plus those in Kāneohe Bay and off the eastern (windward) coast, its area is , making it the 20th-largest island in the United States. Well-known features of Oahu include Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kāneohe Bay, Kailua Bay, and the North Shore. Name The Island of Oahu is often nicknamed (or translated as) "The Gatheri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. Phylogeneti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
