Hunt History

Humans are almost certainly the proximate cause of the extinction of Dinornis novaezealandiae. When Polynesian settlers (ancestors of the Māori) arrived in New Zealand in the late 13th century, moa became accessible prey with little to defend themselves against human hunters. Within about 200 years, all moa species (including D. novaezealandiae) vanished.

Although moa had very few natural predators prior to human arrival, the pressures introduced by hunting (and possibly habitat change, fire, predation of eggs or chicks by introduced mammals) overwhelmed their population resilience.

Three archaeological / fossil examples illustrating human predation or presence:

Radiocarbon-dated moa bones across North Island with cut marks and association with early Māori settlement sites (e.g. in early forest clearings)

Eggshell fragments with signs of human handling or breakage in Māori-era sites

Stratigraphic remains of moa bones declining in frequency through successive archaeological layers corresponding to increasing human occupation