GabiPaleo @gabipaleo.bsky.social · 17/02/2025Dinornis robustus were the second largest birds ever found, surpassed in weight and size only by their distant cousin, the elephant bird. They became extinct +-600 years ago, due to the arrival of humans, like other moas. 2/11 182
GabiPaleo @gabipaleo.bsky.social · 17/02/2025A major factor in the extinction of moas, especially the giant ones, was egg theft by humans. These birds could lay 1-2 eggs at a time, investing heavily in a small number of hatchlings. 3/11 171
GabiPaleo @gabipaleo.bsky.social · 17/02/2025This breeding strategy resulted in a population consisting mainly of long-lived, slow-breeding adults. Interestingly, despite their enormous size, moas eggs were very thin and fragile, only 1.4mm thick. 4/11 161
