The lesser moa (

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Emeidae) were a family in the

moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. Moa or MOA may also refer to: Arts and media * Metal Open Air, a Brazilian heavy metal festival * MOA Museum of Art in Japan * The Moas, New Zealand film awards People * Moa ...

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Dinornithiformes. About two-thirds of all moa species are in the lesser moa family. The moa were

ratite Ratites () are a polyphyletic group consisting of all birds within the infraclass Palaeognathae that lack keels and cannot fly. They are mostly large, long-necked, and long-legged, the exception being the kiwi, which is also the only nocturnal ...

s from

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

: flightless birds with a

sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...

but without a

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

. They also have a distinctive

palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly sep ...

. The origin of the ratites is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas that they have been found in.

Species

Currently, six species of lesser moa are recognised, belonging to four genera. These are: * Genus '' Anomalopteryx'' ** Bush moa, ''Anomalopteryx didiformis'' (

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

, New Zealand) * Genus '' Emeus'' ** Eastern moa, ''Emeus crassus'' (South Island, New Zealand) * Genus '' Euryapteryx'' ** Broad-billed moa, ''Euryapteryx curtus'' (North and South Island, New Zealand) * Genus '' Pachyornis'' ** Heavy-footed moa, ''Pachyornis elephantopus'' (South Island, New Zealand) ** Mantell's moa, ''Pachyornis geranoides'' (North Island, New Zealand) ** Crested moa, ''Pachyornis australis'' (South Island, New Zealand)

Notes

References

Holocene extinctions Ratites Bird genera Extinct birds of New Zealand Extinct flightless birds Endemic birds of New Zealand Late Quaternary prehistoric birds Species made extinct by human activities {{NewZealand-stub