New Zealand Was Home To Moas, One Of The Largest Birds On Earth Around 600 Years Ago But They Were Overhunted To Extinction
Dinornithiformes, a phylum comprising nine species of gigantic, flightless birds, flourished in New Zealand for millions of years. Then they unexpectedly vanished around 600 years ago.
Scientists have long speculated as to what role hunting by Homo sapiens played in the moas' demise, as their die-off correlated with the arrival of the first people on the islands in the late 13th century. A recent genetic analysis of moa remains shows that humans are the only ones responsible for the demise of the birds.
Megafauna were large animal species that included mammoths, mastodons, and moas. Between 9000 and 13,000 years ago, as humans started to spread across the globe, many species of megafauna went extinct.
Many times the creatures vanished soon after humans entered their ecosystems, leading some scientists to hypothesize that we overhunted them to extinction. However, other experts have suggested that these species' extinction was primarily caused by natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, illness, and climatic change near the end of the last Ice Age.
Because the moas were the last of the large species to go extinct, and because they did so recently when a changing climate was no longer a concern, researchers think the moas present a particularly interesting instance. The moa species, which had never seen a terrestrial mammal before people came, offered substantial meals, with sizes ranging from 12 to 250 kilos.
More Info: Reddit, science.org
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These ostrich-like birds were as tall as 3m but went extinct due to overhunting by the first Polynesian settlers
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Many times, the animals disappeared not long after humans entered their ecosystems, which led some scientists to assume that humanity overhunted them until they went extinct. Other scientists, however, contend that natural occurrences, such as volcanic eruptions, disease, and climatic changes near the end of the last Ice Age, were chiefly responsible for the demise of these species.
Redditors found their way to the comments section to drop their replies and we've gathered some of them for you to read through below.
This Redditor says that the moas must have tasted like chicken
No wonder they hunted them to extinction
The haast's eagle used to hunt moas
This Redditor says you have to look up Haaat's eagle
Another Redditor suggesting that you look up the haast's eagle
It's truly sad that moas exist no more
A tasty animal us an animal that might end up gone
Birds can't grow to the size of their cousins, even if they tried
The havoc emus caused the Australians
Another Redditor who can bet that moas tasted great
Researchers believe the moas give a particularly intriguing example since they were the last of the major species to go extinct and because they did so recently when a changing climate was no longer a problem. Before humanity arrived, the moa species—which had never encountered a terrestrial mammal—offered hearty meals that ranged in weight from 12 to 250 kg.
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