The broad-billed moa, stout-legged moa, or coastal moa (''Euryapteryx curtus'') is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

species of

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 ...

that was

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

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 ...

Taxonomy

''Euryapteryx curtus'' is a

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 ...

and a member of the

lesser moa The lesser moa (Family (biology), family Emeidae) were a family in the moa Order (biology), order Dinornithiformes. About two-thirds of all moa species are in the lesser moa family. The moa were ratites from New Zealand: flightless birds with a ...

family. The ratites are 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 ...

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 ...

. A 2009 genetic study showed that the species ''Euryapteryx gravis'' is a junior synonym of ''E. curtus''. Following this, a study published in 2010 explained size differences among the remains as being a result of sexual dimorphism. A 2012 morphological study interpreted them as subspecies instead. ''E. c. curtus'', the

nominate subspecies In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...

, was labeled the "coastal moa", while ''E. c. gravis'' was the "stout-legged moa". The

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

below follows a 2009 analysis by Bunce ''et al.'':

Habitat and distribution

''Euryapteryx curtus'' was one of the most widespreas moa species, inhabiting mostly open areas. These moa lived on both the

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 the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

Islands of New Zealand, and remains have also been recovered from nearby

Stewart Island Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...

. It inhabited lowland environments like duneland, forest, shrubland, and grassland.

Behaviour and ecology

As of 2006, half of all complete or mostly complete moa eggs in museum collections are likely broad-billed moa specimens. Of the specimens traditionally given the name ''Euryapteryx gravis'', the eggs have an average length of and width of , while the group traditionally assigned to the name ''Euryapteryx curtus'' had an average length of and width of . The species presumably went extinct for the same reasons as proposed for other moa: overhunting by the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

(who called them "moa hakahaka") after their arrival on the islands in the 14th century.

References

External links

Unmasking the secrets of the extinct moa
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3501055 Extinct flightless birds Extinct birds of New Zealand Late Quaternary prehistoric birds

broad-billed moa The broad-billed moa, stout-legged moa, or coastal moa (''Euryapteryx curtus'') is an extinct species of moa that was endemic to New Zealand. Taxonomy ''Euryapteryx curtus'' is a ratite and a member of the lesser moa family. The ratites a ...