Abstract:
In order to provide a basis for future studies on the
functional morphology and evolutionary history of
the New Zealand moas, the species-level systematics of the family is reviewed. Based on a study of
museum collections and an analysis of intraspecific
variability, only 13 species are considered to be
valid: Anomalopteryx didiformis, A. oweni,
Megalapteryx didinus, M. benhami, Pachyornis
elephantopus, P. mappini, Euryapteryx curtus,
E. geranoides, Emeus crassus, Dinornis struthoides,
D. torosus, D. novaezealandiae, and D. giganteus.
The taxa accepted as valid in this paper probably
fit the biological species concept more closely than
do those of previous classifications, in which as
many as 29 species have been recognized. The
“species-pairs,” Pachyornis mappini-P septentrionalis, Euryapteryx curtus-E. exilis, E. geranoides- E. gravis, and Emeus crassus-E. huttonii probably
represent examples of sexual size dimorphism.
