Moa were a group of large, flightless birds that were native to New Zealand and belonged to a now-extinct family of birds called Dinornithiformes. They were the dominant herbivore in the region for millions of years and lived in various habitats such as grasslands, forests, and shrublands. Moa were hunted to extinction by the first humans to colonize New Zealand, the Māori. One interesting aspect of Moa is their unique morphology. They had long, slender legs and a long neck, which allowed them to reach leaves and other vegetation that other herbivores could not. They also had a unique digestive system that allowed them to break down tough plant material. Moa were also sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females. Another fascinating aspect of Moa is their cultural significance. They were not only an important food source for the Māori, but they also held spiritual and cultural importance. Moa bones were used to create tools and ornaments, and their feathers were used for decoration. Moa also feature prominently in Māori mythology and folklore. Despite their extinction, Moa continue to be studied and researched by scientists and paleontologists. By analyzing Moa bones and other remains, researchers have been able to gain insights into the ecology and evolution of these unique birds.
Moa, flightless birds, Dinornithiformes, herbivores, extinction, morphology, digestive system, sexual dimorphism, cultural significance, Māori, mythology, paleontology, ecology, evolution
CITATION : "Joseph Williams. 'Moa.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=274743 (Accessed on June 19, 2025)"
Moa is a noun that can refer to several things, including an extinct flightless bird from New Zealand, an Australian Aboriginal dance, or an area of the Thames River in London. Synonyms for the word Moa are the extinct bird genera Dinornis, Anomalopteryx and Euryapteryx, the Australian Aboriginal dance Corroboree, and the waters of Thames Strugeon Reach. Antonyms for the word Moa include the genera Notornis, Dinornis robustus, and Emeus, the Scottish Maide dance, and the waters of the Thames Pools. Cognates of the word Moa include Dinornis novaezealandiae, Anomalopteryx didiformis, Euryapteryx curtus, Corracoroborra, and Strugeon Reach. Variants of the word Moa include Maa, Moah, Moha, Maoh, Moa' and Mueh.
Morphology, Etymology, New-Zealand, Extinct, Bird.
Moa is a word of Polynesian origin that had been traditionally used among the Polynesian and Maori people. The word refers to a large and powerfully built bird that were found in New Zealand until the 14th century and is today extinct. The word evolved from the proto-Polynesian language and was used by the locals since ancient times. The morphology of the word is derived from the combination of two words; mo meaning bird and a meaning big or powerful. In the context of Polynesian and Maori culture, Moa was used to refer to a large, powerful and awe-inspiring bird and was used in everyday language. The historical evolution of the word is connected to the culture and beliefs of the Polynesian and Maori people who used the word to describe the physical features of the bird as well as the spiritual and cultural importance of the bird in their society.
Etymology, Morphology, Historical Evolution, Pragmatics, Polynesian, Maori.
Moa is an extinct flightless bird native to New Zealand. Its scientific name is Dinornis robustus, and it is thought to have been the largest bird species in the world. The Maori name for the Moa is Kiwi, and it is a cultural icon of many native peoples in New Zealand. In other languages, variations on “Moa” include Walloo in Abyssinian, Moa in Spanish, Moa in French, Amh in Galician, and Umu in Swahili. Moa also has the alternative meanings “big bird” in Gikuyu and “large dark person” in Hebrew. Other equivalents for “Moa” in other languages include aves desterradas in Portuguese, flugeloschennoye ptitsa in Russian, eerbare vogel in Dutch, sisav kukumkani in Zulu, and ptitsa Moa in Ukrainian.
large bird, New Zealand, Dinornis robustus, Kiwi, Walloo, Abyssinian, Spanish, French, Galician, Swahili, “big bird”, Gikuyu, “large dark person”, Hebrew, aves desterradas, Portuguese, flugeloschennoye ptitsa, Russian, eerbare vogel, Dutch, sisav kukumkan
Moa were a group of large, flightless birds native to New Zealand. They were the dominant herbivore in the region for millions of years and belonged to a now extinct family of birds called Dinornithiformes. Moa were large birds, reaching heights of 3.6 m and weighing up to 230 kg. The largest species of Moa, Dinornis robustus, was the heaviest bird ever recorded. Moa lived in various habitats such as grasslands, forests and shrublands. They were hunted to extinction by the first humans to colonize New Zealand, the Māori.
Moa, New Zealand, Dinornithiformes, flightless, herbivore, extinct, Dinornis robustus, grasslands, forests, shrublands, Māori
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