| Brief Description |
A tibiotarsus or shin bone, the largest bone in a moa’s body. Made up of a fused tibia and foot bones, it was partly feathered and flexed mostly at the ankle. This bone was collected by the Reverend Richard Taylor, near Whanganui, some time in the mid-19th century. Written in faded ink on a paper label pasted to the bone "Mrs Taylor / Sandown Villa / moa leg bone".
The North Island Giant Moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae), found throughout North Island forests, was one of two giant moa species. Females stretched up 3 m high, and DNA evidence from bones shows that they were twice the size of males. Giant moa were hunted to extinction 500 years ago.
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