High-Resolution Coproecology: Using Coprolites to Reconstruct the Habits and Habitats of New Zealand’s Extinct Upland Moa (Megalapteryx didinus)
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Date
2012
Authors
Wood, Jamie
Wilmshurst, Janet M
Wagstaff, Steven J
Worthy, Trevor
Rawlence, Nicolas J
Cooper, Alan
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Public Library of Science
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Copyright 2012 Wood et al.
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Wood et al.
Abstract
Knowledge about the diet and ecology of extinct herbivores has important implications for understanding the evolution of
plant defence structures, establishing the influences of herbivory on past plant community structure and composition, and
identifying pollination and seed dispersal syndromes. The flightless ratite moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) were New Zealand’s
largest herbivores prior to their extinction soon after initial human settlement. Here we contribute to the knowledge of moa
diet and ecology by reporting the results of a multidisciplinary study of 35 coprolites from a subalpine cave (Euphrates
Cave) on the South Island of New Zealand. Ancient DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating revealed the coprolites were
deposited by the extinct upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus), and span from at least 6,368631 until 694630 14C years BP;
the approximate time of their extinction. Using pollen, plant macrofossil, and ancient DNA analyses, we identified at least 67
plant taxa from the coprolites, including the first evidence that moa fed on the nectar-rich flowers of New Zealand flax
(Phormium) and tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata). The plant assemblage from the coprolites reflects a highly-generalist
feeding ecology for upland moa, including browsing and grazing across the full range of locally available habitats (spanning
southern beech (Nothofagus) forest to tussock (Chionochloa) grassland). Intact seeds in the coprolites indicate that upland
moa may have been important dispersal agents for several plant taxa. Plant taxa with putative anti-browse adaptations
were also identified in the coprolites. Clusters of coprolites (based on pollen assemblages, moa haplotypes, and radiocarbon
dates), probably reflect specimens deposited at the same time by individual birds, and reveal the necessity of suitably large
sample sizes in coprolite studies to overcome potential biases in diet interpretation.
Description
Copyright 2012 Wood et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Citation
Wood JR, Wilmshurst JM, Wagstaff SJ, Worthy TH, Rawlence NJ, et al. (2012) High-Resolution Coproecology: Using Coprolites to Reconstruct the Habits and Habitats of New Zealand’s Extinct Upland Moa (Megalapteryx didinus). PLoS ONE 7(6): e40025. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040025