Bones Of Giant Birds Pose Mating Mystery

Independent (UK) ^ | 9-11-2003 | Steve Connor

[blam]

Bones of giant birds pose mating mystery

By Steve Connor
11 September 2003

A study of the fossilised bones of a giant bird which died out about 800 years ago has revealed that the female was three times the size of the male.

Scientists discovered that the largest giant moa birds were not a separate species, as originally thought, but an extreme example of sexual dimorphism. A study of the DNA extracted from the bones of large and small moas revealed that the females were huge, weighing up to 250kg and standing up to three metres tall. The males were puny, weighing as little as 60kg, and were about one metre tall.

This raises the question of how the moa cocks were able to mate with their huge hens.

Professor Alan Cooper, director of Oxford University's Ancient Biomolecules Centre, said the findings were unexpected because it was widely thought that large, small and medium-sized moa belonged to separate species that did not interbreed.

He said: "Such a large difference between the sexes has never been seen before, and consequently nobody considered that these different groups of bones could actually belong to the same species. It raises concerns about the logistics of mating - but in the emu for example, the female sits during mating. If this was the case with the moa, it would have looked like a horse and jockey."

The study, published today in the journal Nature, analysed DNA extracted from the bones of moa that lived in swamps and caves in New Zealand. Moa died out after the arrival of the Maori, around AD1100, who hunted the birds to extinction.

Professor Cooper said: "When we examined genes that evolve very rapidly we could find no consistent differences between tiny and giant [moa] specimens. When we looked at sex-linked genes all the medium and giant individuals showed up as femaleswhile the males were the little ones."

It is the first time that scientists have identified the sex of an extinct animal using DNA.

[blam]

"If you can get hold of a book called "Kiwis at the crossroads" by Geoff McDonald, it enlarges on how the Maori cause is being used to cause racial problems in New Zealand."

Thanks, I'm familiar with the strife. I think the NZ government just federalized all the beaches/shorelines to keep the Maori from claming them. (etc.)

[Grut]

The males all lost their ladders.

Casanunder, anyone? Ye Gods, Terry Pratchett does know everything!

[blam]

Beaches Issue Spirals Out Of Govt Control

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

fun to ride until your friends see you.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

No way! That's crazy.

[CasearianDaoist]

Sounds like Long Island.

[CasearianDaoist]

Sounds like Long Island.

[CasearianDaoist]

Sounds like Long Island.

[CasearianDaoist]

Sounds like Long Island.

[CasearianDaoist]

Sounds like Long Island.

[Bacon Man]

Such a large difference between the sexes has never been seen before

This guy has obviously never seen the Springer show.

[mtbopfuyn]

Moas don't kiss and tell, hence the mystery.

[shaggy eel]

,,, the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteed Maori (as a conquered race) the same rights as settlers in New Zealand, under the Queen of England. New Zealand was proclaimed a Dominion in 1910 and is self governing, apart from having a Governor-General to rubber stamp significant legislation as the Queen's representative and we also retain London's Privy Council as a last means of legal appeal - a step that Helen Klark and Margaret Wilson are very keen to abolish in their lust for total power.

The government has always maintained a measure called "The Queen's Chain", which is 66 feet from where the tide falls on beaches, for the public to roam freely on beaches. Under the Treaty, a section of Maoris are claiming ownership of seabed and foreshore. What a gravy train this will be for lawyers. What an electoral disaster in the making for Labour. Here's what a segment of the population has to say about it...

[Brian Allen]

<< Moa died out after the arrival of the Maori

,,, what a coincidence - so did the Morioris. >>

That's 'cause the bastards killed and ate us all.

All except my ancestors.

Which is why us descendents of the original inhabitants -- us aboriginies -- us indigenous -- are comin' back to reclaim our beaches and foreshores.

And to eat some [More] nice Maori ladies.

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Say no more!

[shaggy eel]

BUMP for Masterton's smoothest Moriori!

[Neophyte]

Maori legends of great fires destroying forests and the moa bird, to be associated to...

It's obvious that the Moa had commited suicide by the way of great farting and so adding to the green house effect produced by the great fires in question.

And since the Maori of the day had no Labour government to tax them for every fart, their's or the birds', the story ended as we know it to end....

Let us not forget this historical lesson and stop whining about future flatulence tax.

[Jonah Hex]

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean..."

[Jonah Hex]

Casanunder? You mean ze world's second-greatest lover?

"I may be second greatest, but I try harder."

Ook.

[Coastie]

Don't ever do that again! Some of us have heart conditions.

[auggy]

Sounds like a slut to me.

The St. Bernard, not your friend.