An analysis of moa bones (Aves: Dinornithiformes) from three lowland North Island swamp sites: Makirikiri, Riverlands and Takapau Road

Abstract

A large sample of moa bones from Makirikiri, and two smaller collections from Riverlands and Takapau Road, contained the following species: Anomalopteryx didiformis (Owen), Pachyornis mappini Archey, Dinornis struthoides Owen, D. novaezealandiae Owen, and D. giganteus Owen (except Riverlands). Anomalopteryx didiformis is the most common moa represented at each site. Measurements of lengths of leg bones of Anomalopteryx from Makirikiri have an apparently unimodal distribution, suggesting that only one species (A. didiformis) is represented in the sample, and that it exhibits no sexual dimorphism in size. Length data for Dinornis leg bones confirm the presence of three species, and allow for the redefinition of their size ranges. Dinornis torosus Hutton is reduced to synonymy with D. novaezealandiae.

Keywords:

• Dinornithiformes
• mud-holes
• Makirikiri
• Riverlands
• Takapau Rd
• North Island
• New Zealand
• variation
• Emeidae
• Anomalopteryx taxonomy