Re: Moasaurus

[AM Yates <Adam.Yates@bristol.ac.uk>]

On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Tim Williams wrote:

> 
> >Well, Kangaroo Island was part of the Austrailian mainland as late as 
> >twelve
> >thousand years ago,
> 
> Makes no difference.  Emus lived on Kangaroo Island quite happily for 12,000 
> years before the colonists wiped them out.  The emus didn't shrivel up and 
> die as soon as Kangaroo island became isolated.  Large birds can live on 
> tiny islands.  So, if most of NZ was submerged during the Caenozoic, I think 
> the little islands that remained above water could have sustained 
> populations of moas.  Perhaps the moas weren't as large as _Dinornis 
> maximus_, but they were moas nonetheless.
> 

As a frequent visitor to KI (it has a great early Cambrian Lagerstatte)
I can tell you that introduced mainland emus are thriving there now.

cheers

Adam Yates