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 The bush moa, little bush moa, or lesser moa (''Anomalopteryx didiformis'') is an extinct species of moa from the family Emeidae (lesser moa) endemic to New Zealand. It is the only species in the genus ''Anomalopteryx'', from Ancient Greek ἀ� ...

, ''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 The eastern moa (''Emeus crassus'') is an extinct species of moa that was endemic to New Zealand. Taxonomy When the first specimens were originally described by Richard Owen in 1846, they were placed within the genus ''Dinornis'' as three d ...

, ''Emeus crassus'' (South Island, New Zealand) * Genus '' Euryapteryx'' **

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 ...

, ''Euryapteryx curtus'' (North and South Island, New Zealand) * Genus ''

Pachyornis ''Pachyornis'' is an extinct genus of ratites from New Zealand which belongs to the moa family. Like all ratites, ''Pachyornis'' is a flightless bird with a sternum that lacks a keel. They also have a distinctive palate. The genus currently cont ...

'' **

Heavy-footed moa The heavy-footed moa (''Pachyornis elephantopus'') is an extinct species of moa from the lesser moa family. The heavy-footed moa was widespread across the South Island of New Zealand, and inhabited lowland environments like shrublands, dunelan ...

, ''Pachyornis elephantopus'' (South Island, New Zealand) **

Mantell's moa Mantell's moa (''Pachyornis geranoides'') also known as Mappin's moa or moa ruarangi, is an extinct species of moa from the North Island of New Zealand. It inhabited lowland environments like shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests.Davie ...

, ''Pachyornis geranoides'' (North Island, New Zealand) **

Crested moa The crested moa (''Pachyornis australis'') is an extinct species of moa. It is one of the 9 known species of moa to have existed. Moa are grouped together with emus, ostriches, kiwi, cassowaries, rheas, and tinamous in the clade Palaeognathae. ...

, ''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