Even now, there are many things we don’t understand about our beautiful planet and its history. Perhaps this is why every new detail discovered by scientists and archaeologists is so exciting to hear about. A group of archaeologists was exploring a cave system on Mount Owen in New Zealand three decades ago when they discovered a breathtaking find. They discovered a perfectly preserved dinosaur-like claw with flesh and muscles still attached to it.
Here’s a photo capturing the famous claw
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
It was later discovered that this mysterious leg was 3,300 years old and belonged to an extinct bird called the moa, which vanished from the Earth 700 to 800 years ago.
Here’s how this bird had probably looked like
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Moa first appeared approximately 8.5 million years ago! Apparently, there were at least ten species of moa back in the day. The two largest species stood about 12 feet (3.6 m) tall with their necks outstretched and weighed around 510 lb (230 kg), while the smallest was about the size of a turkey.
Here’s a picture showing a size comparison between four moa species and a human
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
These now-extinct birds were flightless and lived in New Zealand
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
For a long time, scientists have been trying to figure out why these birds became extinct. Here’s the thing: Moa vanished from our planet around 700 years ago, soon after humans arrived on the islands. Some scientists believe it was not an accident.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
According to evolutionary biologist Trevor Worthy, “the inescapable conclusion is that these birds were not senescent, not in the old age of their lineage and about to exit the world.” Rather, they were robust, healthy populations when humans encountered and exterminated them.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
What people are saying about this find is as follows:
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