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Moa Recovery
News from the Otago Museum, Dunedin - 20/03/03
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Moa Display at the Otago Museum
Photo Source Otago Museum
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An expedition of nine people, led by the
Otago Museum, left for the
Serpentine Range on a Wednesday afternoon in late February with great
expectations of discovering more bones of the upland moa, Megalapteryx
didinus.
The expedition team, including Masterton paleobiologist
Trevor Worthy, Brian Patrick and Sue Michelson-Heath from the Otago Museum,
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Moa chopper arrival
Photo source ODT
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Entrance to cave
Photo source ODT
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Moa Claw
Photo source ODT
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Moa Cranium
Photo source ODT
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Moa Recovery
Photo source ODT
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Doc officials and Natural History New Zealand flew up to the cave site from
Routeburn in perfect weather conditions early on Thursday morning unaware
of what they were about to find.
They were very excited to discover and recover a number of bones of an
upland moa, including a skull, throat, left foot toes and a right foot.
"We were thrilled to be able to recover these very special bones" says
elated Brian Patrick, Collections and Research Manager of Otago Museum.
"We have got very close to a full skeleton of an upland moa and we can now
have the bones articulated".
Discovery of moa and bones and a moa egg in 2002
Knowledge of the site came about early in 2002, when two hunters in Mount
Aspiring National Park discovered part of a skeleton and an egg of an
upland moa. The moa remains were later brought out from the site and
passed on to the Otago Museum. The skeletal components were in remarkably
good condition, being extremely clean, unbroken and without any erosion or
The expedition team, including Masterton paleobiologist
Trevor Worthy, Brian Patrick and Sue Michelson-Heath from the Otago Museum,
damage to the bone surface. The egg, which was largely intact, still had
some of its beautiful pale green pigmentation.
Based on this tremendous discovery, it was decided that the site may still
have been housing a number of other moa remains, which was indeed the case.
Very significant find
The find is very significant because of the condition of the bones, the
position of the accompanying egg and the site from which it was recovered.
Few complete skeletons of this species have been recovered compared to
those of lowland moa species and only 15 to 20 moa eggs have ever been
found. It is also believed that no Megalapteryx didinus has
previously been found with an unlaid egg still in position within the
pelvis. The specimen may therefore yield very important information about
the egg laying behaviour, anatomy and general ecology of this species.
This is a very important discovery that will contribute to knowledge of the
ecology of the moa, New Zealand's very special flightless bird.
For more information please contact:
Clare Wilson, Development & Planning Manager, +64 3 474 7473, or +64 27 244
9378, or +64 21 347 410
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