| a megafauna's microfauna: gastrointestinal parasites of new zealand's extinct moa (aves: dinornithiformes). | we perform the first multidisciplinary study of parasites from an extinct megafaunal clade using coprolites from the new zealand moa (aves: dinornithiformes). ancient dna and microscopic analyses of 84 coprolites deposited by four moa species (south island giant moa, dinornis robustus; little bush moa, anomalopteryx didiformis; heavy-footed moa, pachyornis elephantopus; and upland moa, megalapteryx didinus) reveal an array of gastrointestinal parasites including coccidians (cryptosporidium and m ... | 2013 | 23451203 |
| resolving lost herbivore community structure using coprolites of four sympatric moa species (aves: dinornithiformes). | knowledge of extinct herbivore community structuring is essential for assessing the wider ecological impacts of quaternary extinctions and determining appropriate taxon substitutes for rewilding. here, we demonstrate the potential for coprolite studies to progress beyond single-species diet reconstructions to resolving community-level detail. the moa (aves: dinornithiformes) of new zealand are an intensively studied group of nine extinct herbivore species, yet many details of their diets and com ... | 2013 | 24082104 |
| moa diet fits the bill: virtual reconstruction incorporating mummified remains and prediction of biomechanical performance in avian giants. | the moa (dinornithiformes) are large to gigantic extinct terrestrial birds of new zealand. knowledge about niche partitioning, feeding mode and preference among moa species is limited, hampering palaeoecological reconstruction and evaluation of the impacts of their extinction on remnant native biota, or the viability of exotic species as proposed ecological 'surrogates'. here we apply three-dimensional finite-element analysis to compare the biomechanical performance of skulls from five of the si ... | 2016 | 26763698 |
| analysing avian eggshell pigments with raman spectroscopy. | avian eggshells are variable in appearance, including coloration. here, we demonstrate that raman spectroscopy can provide accurate diagnostic information about major eggshell constituents, including the pigments biliverdin and protoporphyrin ix. eggshells pigmented with biliverdin showed a series of pigment-diagnostic raman peaks under 785 nm excitation. eggshells pigmented with protoporphyrin ix showed strong emission under 1064 nm and 785 nm excitation, whereas resonance raman spectra (351 nm ... | 2015 | 26113138 |
| high-resolution coproecology: using coprolites to reconstruct the habits and habitats of new zealand's extinct upland moa (megalapteryx didinus). | knowledge about the diet and ecology of extinct herbivores has important implications for understanding the evolution of plant defence structures, establishing the influences of herbivory on past plant community structure and composition, and identifying pollination and seed dispersal syndromes. the flightless ratite moa (aves: dinornithiformes) were new zealand's largest herbivores prior to their extinction soon after initial human settlement. here we contribute to the knowledge of moa diet and ... | 2012 | 22768206 |