In a remarkable archaeological revelation, scientists uncovered the preserved claw of an ancient bird, dating back over 30 thousand years.

The extraordinary find, resembling a dinosaur claw, was stumbled upon by members of the New Zealand Speleological Society in 1987 as they traversed the cave systems of Mount Owen in New Zealand.

This colossal claw, surprisingly well-preserved with muscles and skin tissues still attached, sparked widespread astonishment.

The initial perception that it might belong to a dinosaur was later dispelled when researchers identified it as the claw of an extinct, non-flying bird species known as moa. Indigenous to New Zealand, moas faced extinction approximately 700 to 800 years ago.

Upon further analysis, archaeologists estimated that the mummified moa claw must have been over 3,300 years old at the time of its discovery, providing a fascinating glimpse into the ancient avian species.

The lineage of moas traces back around 80 million years to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Derived from the Polynesian word for bird, moas comprised three families, six genera, and nine species, exhibiting a diverse range of sizes.

Some were as small as turkeys, while the largest surpassed the dimensions of ostriches, standing at about 12 feet in height and weighing approximately 510 pounds.

These now-extinct birds were primarily herbivores, foraging on fruits, grass, leaves, and seeds. Genetic studies have revealed their closest relatives to be the flying South American tinamous, a sister group to ratites. Unique among ratites, moas were characterized by their inability to fly and the absence of vestigial wings.

Moas once dominated the terrestrial and herbivorous niches in New Zealand’s forests, serving as the largest animals in the ecosystem. Prior to human arrival, their only predator was the Haast’s eagle.

The Polynesian settlers, particularly the Maori, arrived in the early 13th century, marking a turning point for moas. Shortly after human arrival, moas faced extinction, and the Haast’s eagle also disappeared from the scene.