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Elephant-footed Moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) |
| syn. Dinornis elephantopus, Dinornis elephantopus var. minor, Dinornis queenslandiae, Dromiceus queenslandiae, Euryapteryx ponderosus, Pachyornis immanus, Pachyornis murihiku, Pachyornis inhabilis, Pachyornis valgus, Pounamua murihiku |
| distribution: New Zealand: South Island |
| local name: - |
| size: ca. 90 cm
(at the back) extinction date: ca. 1500 |
| Remains of this species have
been found on New Zealand's South Island In live it must have been the most ponderous built of the moa species. The photograph shows a reconstruction in the 'old way', now it is known that such an erect posture was almost impossible for the living Moa, the birds walked in a rather crouched pose with their necks held in an almost horizontal position. |
 left:Elephant-footed Moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) Photo: Alexander Lang |
| References: - Trevor H. Worthy, Richard N. Holdaway: The Lost World of the Moa, Prehistoric Life of New Zealand. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 2002 |