Coastal Moa | |
---|---|
Restoration of Euryapteryx curtus | |
Information | |
Range | North Island, South Island, and on Stewart Island |
Scientific Classification | |
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | †Dinornithiformes |
Family | †Emeidae |
Genus | †Euryapteryx |
Species | †E. curtus |
Conservation Status | |
Extinct |
The Coastal moa (Euryapteryx curtus) was a species of moa. It is now extinct. These moa lived on North Island, South Island, and on Stewart Island. Its habitat was in the lowlands (dunelands, forests, shrublands, and grasslands). It was a ratite and a member of the Struthioniformes Order. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds with a sternum without a keel. They also have a distinctive palate. The origin of these birds 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.
Taxonomy[]
A 2009 genetic study showed that Euryapteryx curtus and Euryapteryx gravis were synonyms. A 2010 study explained size differences among them as sexual dimorphism. A 2012 morphological study interpreted them as subspecies instead.