14 DAY TRIAL // An international group of experts determined in a new study that the large flightless birds called moa were driven to extinction by human pressure around 600 years ago. These conclusions are based on a combination of DNA testing data and archaeological evidence and represent the first time a coherent scientific explanation has been set forth to confirm what many experts have been suspecting for years.
Details of the new investigation were published in the latest issue of the esteemed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Moa birds were very widespread in New Zealand before the arrival of the Māori. By 1400 AD, all nine species of moa had disappeared entirely, primarily due to habitat decline and excessive hunting.
The birds were truly a sight to behold, experts say. They could weigh up to 230 kilograms (510 pounds) and could reach a height of 3.6 meters (12 feet) when extending their neck all the way. The new investigation refutes earlier hypotheses suggesting that moa were already threatened with extinction due to volcanic eruptions or other natural factors.
The genetic research the team conducted proves that humans were 100 percent responsible for the disappearance of this species. The group analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear DNA samples from 281 different sets of fossilized bones to arrive at this conclusion. The single natural predator moa birds had was Haast's eagle, which itself went extinct centuries ago, PhysOrg reports.