This reconstruction of the heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) portrays the extraordinary bulk of this species. It had massive legs, and its large olfactory lobes suggest that it had a keen sense of smell. The heavy-footed moa lived in the forests and shrublands of the east coast of the South Island. Its remains have been found in middens on the Waitaki and Rakaia rivers.
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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Watercolour on paper by Paul Martinson
Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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