The Possible Ecological Consequences of Moa Extinction in New Zealand
- 演化之聲
- Mar 14
- 5 min read
New Zealand is an island nation composed mainly of two large landmasses, the South Island and the North Island. Because these islands have remained isolated from other continental landmasses for approximately 52 million years, the country developed an exceptionally distinctive ecosystem.
One of the most striking characteristics of this ecosystem is that its large vertebrate fauna historically consisted almost entirely of birds. Apart from humans and the species they later introduced, the only native terrestrial mammals in New Zealand are bats belonging to the family Mystacinidae. As a result, birds have long played a dominant ecological role in the structure and function of New Zealand's ecosystems.
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