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Archaeologists Find 3,300-Year-Old Claw Of A Bird That Went Extinct 700 Years Ago, And People Say 2020 Is Not The Right Year To Clone It
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Archaeologists Find 3,300-Year-Old Claw Of A Bird That Went Extinct 700 Years Ago, And People Say 2020 Is Not The Right Year To Clone It

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Even to this day, there are so many things we still don’t know about our beautiful planet and its history. And maybe that’s the reason, why every little detail scientists and archaeologists manage to discover feels extremely exciting to hear about.

Three decades ago, a team of archaeologists were exploring a cave system on Mount Owen in New Zealand when they came across a breathtaking find. The thing they discovered was a perfectly preserved dinosaur-like claw that still had flesh and muscles attached to it

Here’s a photo capturing the famous claw

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Later it turned out that this mysterious leg was 3,300-year-old and it belonged to an extinct bird called moa which disappeared from the Earth approximately 700 to 800 years ago.

Here’s how this bird had probably looked like

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Turns out, moa first appeared around 8.5 million years ago! Apparently, back in the day, there were at least 10 species of moa. The two largest species reached about 12 feet (3.6 m) in height with neck outstretched and weighed about 510 lb (230 kg) while the smallest was around the size of a turkey.

Here’s a picture showing a size comparison between four moa species and a human

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

These now-extinct birds were flightless and lived in New Zealand

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Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

For a long time, scientists have been trying to find an answer to the question, why these birds went extinct. Here’s a thing—moa disappeared from our Earth around 700 years ago, shortly after humans arrived on the islands. Some scientists believe that it wasn’t a coincidence.

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

An evolutionary biologist Trevor Worthy suggests this: “The inescapable conclusion is these birds were not senescent, not in the old age of their lineage and about to exit from the world. Rather they were robust, healthy populations when humans encountered and terminated them.”

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Here’s what people are saying about this find

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ng avatar
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like the theme park idea. They could build it on a deserted island. Can it be crowdfunded?

robyngardam avatar
KombatBunni
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We can stock it..I mean put all the anti maskers and anti vaxxers on the same island and charge admission to see who lasts longest? I'd pay to see that..

Load More Replies...
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So are they going to make a new velociraptor-- I mean, moa, out of the claw? Let's add Jurassic Park nightmares to 2020!

laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Go the Moa! We have a big replica and bones at my local museum (nz). That's what we don't want to happen to the kiwi, extinction:( tho that's more a small land predator issue than the Moa overhunting etc issue

glowworm2 avatar
glowworm2
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always thought these extinct birds were awesome. If they were alive today, they'd put an ostrich to shame.

ii_3 avatar
I I
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

confused why they are not around ??? we hunted them in to extinction like most other things

xianjaguar avatar
XianJaguar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The article said that. However, if we hunted them to extinction, we SHOULD clone the moa and put it back on this earth. Hey, if we can do it, we should. They might taste really good. ;)

Load More Replies...
cebenspe avatar
Solrac
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Moas were herbivores so the commentary about them stealing babies is not true. One of their predators were Haast's eagles, also extinct, with a wingspan of up to 3 meters. Those you should be afraid of.

peihe-hsu avatar
pei meow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually thought this was a dragon claw, maybe it is...

kathrynhatfield avatar
KatHat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish there were more details about how something like this survives so intact "in a cave system". Was it buried? Was there more of it? How does flesh and muscle survive so long?

virgilblue avatar
Virgil Blue
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It could be that the material of the cave leached all moisture out of it quickly mummifing and preserving it in a very hostile to bacteria environment.

Load More Replies...
dcloud1943 avatar
Dorothy Cloud
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's just sad that the human race has killed off a lot of animals. Mostly because we've taken over their habitats and we're selfish for the most part. We don't play well with others.

mscognato avatar
LRevello
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ya'll KNOW how much we like fried chicken & ya'll still wondering HOW they became extinct? LOL

nicolae-crefelean avatar
Nicolae Crefelean
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just look at that middle finger inviting us: "Come on, clone me, I double dare you!" 😄

brenthollett avatar
Brent Hollett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact. We've had the Moa genome for more than 10 years. This isn't a 2020 thing. https://phys.org/news/2009-07-scientists-rebuild-giant-moa-ancient.html

garyolson avatar
Gary Olson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Here's how this bird had probably looked like"???? Here's how your writers mangle the English language.

gabyk421 avatar
b l a n c
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

somehow i feel like this is gonna end up in a coraline beldam situation..

basumandira80 avatar
Mandira Basu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not 2020... please.. you'll clone a bird and a raptor will hatch...

emiamohler avatar
SirPatTheCat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly at this point I would like to see an extinct bird thats brought back to like before I die of some other, more boring disaster. Bring it tf on.

hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like that this is how we respond to new now. Scientist: We found a bird foot. The Internet: DON'T F'ING CLONE IT!!!

pelste-liam25 avatar
MantisKeeper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've known about these birbs for a long time, and i really hope to see a living one someday!

pelste-liam25 avatar
MantisKeeper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

also, they had the biggest egg of any bird, even extinct dino eggs were smaller then they were!

Load More Replies...
rr_reading avatar
Michael Capriola Jr.
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

responding to Orion@Terra AustralisP: These giant birds died out because they taste like chicken. Yummy yum-yum.

ng avatar
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like the theme park idea. They could build it on a deserted island. Can it be crowdfunded?

robyngardam avatar
KombatBunni
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We can stock it..I mean put all the anti maskers and anti vaxxers on the same island and charge admission to see who lasts longest? I'd pay to see that..

Load More Replies...
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So are they going to make a new velociraptor-- I mean, moa, out of the claw? Let's add Jurassic Park nightmares to 2020!

laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Go the Moa! We have a big replica and bones at my local museum (nz). That's what we don't want to happen to the kiwi, extinction:( tho that's more a small land predator issue than the Moa overhunting etc issue

glowworm2 avatar
glowworm2
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always thought these extinct birds were awesome. If they were alive today, they'd put an ostrich to shame.

ii_3 avatar
I I
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

confused why they are not around ??? we hunted them in to extinction like most other things

xianjaguar avatar
XianJaguar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The article said that. However, if we hunted them to extinction, we SHOULD clone the moa and put it back on this earth. Hey, if we can do it, we should. They might taste really good. ;)

Load More Replies...
cebenspe avatar
Solrac
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Moas were herbivores so the commentary about them stealing babies is not true. One of their predators were Haast's eagles, also extinct, with a wingspan of up to 3 meters. Those you should be afraid of.

peihe-hsu avatar
pei meow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually thought this was a dragon claw, maybe it is...

kathrynhatfield avatar
KatHat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish there were more details about how something like this survives so intact "in a cave system". Was it buried? Was there more of it? How does flesh and muscle survive so long?

virgilblue avatar
Virgil Blue
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It could be that the material of the cave leached all moisture out of it quickly mummifing and preserving it in a very hostile to bacteria environment.

Load More Replies...
dcloud1943 avatar
Dorothy Cloud
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's just sad that the human race has killed off a lot of animals. Mostly because we've taken over their habitats and we're selfish for the most part. We don't play well with others.

mscognato avatar
LRevello
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ya'll KNOW how much we like fried chicken & ya'll still wondering HOW they became extinct? LOL

nicolae-crefelean avatar
Nicolae Crefelean
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just look at that middle finger inviting us: "Come on, clone me, I double dare you!" 😄

brenthollett avatar
Brent Hollett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact. We've had the Moa genome for more than 10 years. This isn't a 2020 thing. https://phys.org/news/2009-07-scientists-rebuild-giant-moa-ancient.html

garyolson avatar
Gary Olson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Here's how this bird had probably looked like"???? Here's how your writers mangle the English language.

gabyk421 avatar
b l a n c
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

somehow i feel like this is gonna end up in a coraline beldam situation..

basumandira80 avatar
Mandira Basu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not 2020... please.. you'll clone a bird and a raptor will hatch...

emiamohler avatar
SirPatTheCat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly at this point I would like to see an extinct bird thats brought back to like before I die of some other, more boring disaster. Bring it tf on.

hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like that this is how we respond to new now. Scientist: We found a bird foot. The Internet: DON'T F'ING CLONE IT!!!

pelste-liam25 avatar
MantisKeeper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've known about these birbs for a long time, and i really hope to see a living one someday!

pelste-liam25 avatar
MantisKeeper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

also, they had the biggest egg of any bird, even extinct dino eggs were smaller then they were!

Load More Replies...
rr_reading avatar
Michael Capriola Jr.
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

responding to Orion@Terra AustralisP: These giant birds died out because they taste like chicken. Yummy yum-yum.

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