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77-630: Motukorea or Browns Island is a small New Zealand island, in the Hauraki Gulf north of Musick Point , one of the best preserved volcanoes in the Auckland volcanic field . The age of eruption is about 25,000 years ago, when the Tāmaki Estuary and the Waitemata Harbour were forested river valleys. Due to centuries of cultivation, little native bush remains except on the north-eastern cliffs, leaving
154-579: A sister group to ratites. The nine species of moa were the only wingless birds, lacking even the vestigial wings that all other ratites have. They were the largest terrestrial animals and dominant herbivores in New Zealand's forest, shrubland, and subalpine ecosystems until the arrival of the Māori , and were hunted only by Haast's eagle . Moa extinction occurred within 100 years of human settlement of New Zealand, primarily due to overhunting. The word moa
231-767: A certain selectivity in the choice of gizzard stones and chose the hardest pebbles. The pairs of species of moa described as Euryapteryx curtus / E. exilis , Emeus huttonii / E. crassus , and Pachyornis septentrionalis / P. mappini have long been suggested to constitute males and females, respectively. This has been confirmed by analysis for sex-specific genetic markers of DNA extracted from bone material. For example, before 2003, three species of Dinornis were recognised: South Island giant moa ( D. robustus ), North Island giant moa ( D. novaezealandiae ), and slender moa ( D. struthioides ). However, DNA showed that all D. struthioides were males, and all D. robustus were females. Therefore,
308-457: A grinding action that allowed them to eat coarse plant material. This grinding action suggests that moa were not effective seed dispersers, with only the smallest seeds passing through their gut intact. These stones were commonly smooth rounded quartz pebbles, but stones over 110 millimetres (4 in) long have been found among preserved moa gizzard contents. Dinornis gizzards could often contain several kilograms of stones. Moa likely exercised
385-411: A large loop within the body cavity. They are the only ratites known to exhibit this feature, which is also present in several other bird groups, including swans , cranes , and guinea fowl . The feature is associated with deep resonant vocalisations that can travel long distances. The moa's closest relatives are small terrestrial South American birds called the tinamous , which can fly. Previously,
462-558: A larger house on the north-eastern side of the island which burnt down in 1915. The derelict house was still on the island until the 1960s. In 1906 the island was sold to the Alison family who operated the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, and during their ownership the hulks of 4 coal powered low draught paddle steamers were abandoned on the low western end of the island. Browns Island is also significant in aviation history, with
539-447: A low fecundity and a long maturation period, taking about 10 years to reach adult size. The large Dinornis species took as long to reach adult size as small moa species, and as a result, had fast skeletal growth during their juvenile years. No evidence has been found to suggest that moa were colonial nesters. Moa nesting is often inferred from accumulations of eggshell fragments in caves and rock shelters, little evidence exists of
616-426: A more detailed, species-level phylogeny, of the moa branch (Dinornithiformes) of the "ancient jawed" birds (Palaeognathae) shown above: † Megalapteryx didinus † D. robustus † D. novaezealandiae † P. australis † P. elephantopus † P. geranoides † Anomalopteryx didiformis † Emeus crassus † Euryapteryx curtus Analyses of fossil moa bone assemblages have provided detailed data on
693-543: A number of (above-water) wildlife sanctuaries. Moa See text Moa ( order Dinornithiformes ) are an extinct group of flightless birds formerly endemic to New Zealand . During the Late Pleistocene - Holocene , there were nine species (in six genera). The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae , reached about 3.6 metres (12 ft) in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 kilograms (510 lb) while
770-401: A number of cryptic evolutionary lineages occurred in several moa genera. These may eventually be classified as species or subspecies; Megalapteryx benhami (Archey) is synonymised with M. didinus (Owen) because the bones of both share all essential characters. Size differences can be explained by a north–south cline combined with temporal variation such that specimens were larger during
847-556: A number of plant species evolved to avoid moa browsing. Divaricating plants such as Pennantia corymbosa (the kaikōmako), which have small leaves and a dense mesh of branches, and Pseudopanax crassifolius (the horoeka or lancewood), which has tough juvenile leaves, are possible examples of plants that evolved in such a way. Likewise, it has been suggested that heteroblasty might be a response to moa browsing. Like many other birds, moa swallowed gizzard stones ( gastroliths ), which were retained in their muscular gizzards , providing
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#1732855068621924-466: A range of plant species and plant parts, including fibrous twigs and leaves taken from low trees and shrubs. The beak of Pachyornis elephantopus was analogous to a pair of secateurs , and could clip the fibrous leaves of New Zealand flax ( Phormium tenax ) and twigs up to at least 8 mm in diameter. Moa filled the ecological niche occupied in other countries by large browsing mammals such as antelope and llamas . Some biologists contend that
1001-659: A reconsideration of the height of larger moa. However, Māori rock art depicts moa or moa-like birds (likely geese or adzebills ) with necks upright, indicating that moa were more than capable of assuming both neck postures. No records survive of what sounds moa made, though some idea of their calls can be gained from fossil evidence. The trachea of moa were supported by many small rings of bone known as tracheal rings. Excavation of these rings from articulated skeletons has shown that at least two moa genera ( Euryapteryx and Emeus ) exhibited tracheal elongation, that is, their trachea were up to 1 m (3 ft) long and formed
1078-600: A relatively common sight. There are approximately 25 species of marine mammals in the gulf. Nearly a third of the world's marine mammal species live in or visit the Marine Park. Among larger cetaceans , Bryde's whales are residents and relatively common in the Gulf, and their presence in these busily travelled waters leads to a large number of ship strikes, with sometimes several of the whales dying each year from collisions with shipping vessels or sport boats. The population remaining
1155-407: A series of wet explosive eruptions that cleared it of any debris and created a 1-kilometre shallow crater, as seen today. The ejected magma , together with large amounts of ash, accumulated around the crater to form a tuff ring . At the time of the eruption, the wind was probably blowing from a southwesterly direction, and a more substantial rim built up on the downward side. Interestingly, fossils of
1232-526: A similar pattern to the South Island. The other moa species present in the North Island ( Euryapteryx gravis , E. curtus , and Pachyornis geranoides ) tended to inhabit drier forest and shrubland habitats. P. geranoides occurred throughout the North Island. The distributions of E. gravis and E. curtus were almost mutually exclusive, the former having only been found in coastal sites around
1309-578: A translation of "the mournful sea" for Tīkapa Moana . In traditional legend, the Hauraki Gulf is protected by a taniwha named Ureia, who takes the form of a whale. The gulf is part of the Pacific Ocean , which it joins to the north and east. It is largely protected from the Pacific by Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island to the north, and by the 80-kilometre-long Coromandel Peninsula to
1386-760: Is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand . It has an area of 4000 km , and lies between, in anticlockwise order, the Auckland Region , the Hauraki Plains , the Coromandel Peninsula , and Great Barrier Island . Most of the gulf is part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Hauraki is Māori for north wind . In 2014, the gulf was officially named Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives
1463-509: Is a Polynesian term for domestic fowl. The name was not in common use among the Māori by the time of European contact, likely because the bird it described had been extinct for some time, and traditional stories about it were rare. The earliest record of the name was by missionaries William Williams and William Colenso in January 1838; Colenso speculated that the birds may have resembled gigantic fowl. In 1912, Māori chief Urupeni Pūhara claimed that
1540-643: Is a phylogeny of Palaeognathae generated by Mitchell (2014) with some clade names after Yuri et al. (2013). It provides the position of the moa (Dinornithiformes) within the larger context of the "ancient jawed" (Palaeognathae) birds: Struthioniformes ( ostriches ) [REDACTED] Rheiformes ( rhea ) [REDACTED] Tinamiformes ( tinamous ) [REDACTED] † Dinornithiformes (moa) [REDACTED] Apterygiformes ( kiwi ) [REDACTED] † Aepyornithiformes ( elephant bird ) [REDACTED] Casuariidae ( cassowary ) [REDACTED] Dromaiidae ( emu ) [REDACTED] The cladogram below gives
1617-465: Is characterised by small, slit-shaped pores. The eggs of most moa species were white, although those of the upland moa ( Megalapteryx didinus ) were blue-green. A 2010 study by Huynen et al. found that the eggs of certain species were fragile, only around a millimetre in shell thickness: "Unexpectedly, several thin-shelled eggs were also shown to belong to the heaviest moa of the genera Dinornis , Euryapteryx , and Emeus , making these, to our knowledge,
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#17328550686211694-489: Is connected to the much older Motutapu Island by a causeway. The islands are separated from the mainland by the Tamaki Strait and Rangitoto Channel . Other islands in the gulf include Browns Island , Motuihe Island , Pakihi Island , Pakatoa Island , Rakino Island , and Rotoroa Island in the inner gulf, around Waiheke and Rangitoto; Tarahiki Island just east of Waiheke; Motukawao Islands and Whanganui Island in
1771-405: Is estimated to be between 100-200. In recent years, increases in numbers of migrating baleen whales are confirmed long after the end of hunting era. These are humpback whales , southern blue whales , pygmy blue whales , and southern minke whales . Less frequently, fin whales and sei whales are seen as well. For southern right whales , these whales will possibly become seasonal residents in
1848-546: Is not well documented, and while many of the sources available speculate as to the origins of Ngāti Tamaterā mana whenua and their right to sell the island in 1840, few dispute it. Phillips makes mention of the Tainui canoe stopping at the island after leaving Wakatiwai on the Firth of Thames , before proceeding to Rangitoto where she met up with the Arawa canoe . In the intervening years,
1925-674: Is the intraspecific variation of bone sizes, between glacial and interglacial periods (see Bergmann’s rule and Allen’s rule ), as well as sexual dimorphism being evident in several species. Dinornis seems to have had the most pronounced sexual dimorphism, with females being up to 150% as tall and 280% as heavy as males—so much bigger that they were classified as separate species until 2003. A 2009 study showed that Euryapteryx curtus and E. gravis were synonyms. A 2010 study explained size differences among them as sexual dimorphism. A 2012 morphological study interpreted them as subspecies, instead. Analyses of ancient DNA have determined that
2002-504: The Coromandel Peninsula rise on either side of the Firth. Traditional Tāmaki Māori histories describe the naming of the gulf. The migratory canoes Tainui and Arawa left Raiatea at similar times, and both explored the Bay of Plenty area. The crew of both canoes met at Horuhoru Rock (Gannet Rock) , where a ceremony was held in memory for the relatives they had lost on the journey. During
2079-648: The Last Glacial Maximum , sea levels around Motukorea dropped to 100 metres lower than present day levels, meaning Motukorea was surrounded by a vast coastal plain where the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana exists today, a part of the forested river valley of the Waitematā (now the Waitematā Harbour . Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, after which Motukorea became an island separated from the rest of New Zealand. The history of Motukorea prior to European arrival
2156-487: The Oligocene drowning. This does not imply that moa were previously absent from the North Island, but that only those from the South Island survived, because only the South Island was above sea level. Bunce et al. (2009) argued that moa ancestors survived on the South Island and then recolonised the North Island about 2 Myr later, when the two islands rejoined after 30 Myr of separation. The presence of Miocene moa in
2233-538: The Whangaparāoa Peninsula . Tiritiri Matangi Island is near the end of this peninsula. Further north, Kawau Island nestles under the Tawharanui Peninsula . Numerous beaches dot the shores of the gulf, many of them well known for swimming and surfing. During the last glaciation period the gulf was dry land, with the sea level being around 100–110 m (300 ft) lower than at present. The gulf
2310-559: The kiwi , the Australian emu , and cassowary were thought to be most closely related to moa. Although dozens of species were described in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many were based on partial skeletons and turned out to be synonyms . Currently, 11 species are formally recognised, although recent studies using ancient DNA recovered from bones in museum collections suggest that distinct lineages exist within some of these. One factor that has caused much confusion in moa taxonomy
2387-560: The nests themselves. Excavations of rock shelters in the eastern North Island during the 1940s found moa nests, which were described as "small depressions obviously scratched out in the soft dry pumice ". Moa nesting material has also been recovered from rock shelters in the Central Otago region of the South Island, where the dry climate has preserved plant material used to build the nesting platform (including twigs clipped by moa bills). Seeds and pollen within moa coprolites found among
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2464-412: The 18.5 Mya split suggested by Baker et al. (2005). This does not necessarily mean there was no speciation between the arrival 60 Mya and the basal split 5.8 Mya, but the fossil record is lacking and most likely the early moa lineages existed, but became extinct before the basal split 5.8 Mya. The presence of Miocene -aged species certainly suggests that moa diversification began before
2541-460: The 20th and early 21st century from human use. Although major study by the Hauraki Gulf Forum in 2011 found that all environmental indicators were still worsening or stable at problematic levels, voluntary coast clean-up groups have collected about 450,000 litres of litter collected from the shoreline, although further conservation efforts are required to maintain the environmental integrity of
2618-526: The Barnard brothers of Auckland carrying out what may have been New Zealand's first glider flights from the upper slopes of the cone in June 1909. In the 1920s the Devonport Steam Ferry Company regularly brought picnickers to the island landing them on a substantial wooden wharf about 120 ft long on the north side of the island. A 1922 survey plan shows a cottage in on the north western flat presumably built to replace
2695-565: The Department of Conservation. In November 2016 a woman became stranded on the island. She was rescued after a fire she lit to attract attention started burning out of control. Browns Island is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park . There are three pa sites on the island, with the largest occupying the slopes of the main scoria cone. The island's highest point is 68 metres (223 ft) above sea level. The mineral motukoreaite
2772-729: The Otiran glacial period (the last ice age in New Zealand). Similar temporal size variation is known for the North Island's Pachyornis mappini . Some of the other size variation for moa species can probably be explained by similar geographic and temporal factors. The earliest moa remains come from the Miocene Saint Bathans Fauna . Known from multiple eggshells and hind limb elements, these represent at least two already fairly large-sized species. The currently recognised genera and species are: Two unnamed species are also known from
2849-527: The Saint Bathans Fauna. Because moa are a group of flightless birds with no vestiges of wing bones, questions have been raised about how they arrived in New Zealand, and from where. Many theories exist about the moa's arrival and radiation in New Zealand, but the most recent theory suggests that they arrived in New Zealand about 60 million years ago (Mya) and split from the "basal" (see below) moa species, Megalapteryx , about 5.8 Mya instead of
2926-614: The Saint Bathans fauna seems to suggest that these birds increased in size soon after the Oligocene drowning event, if they were affected by it at all. Bunce et al. also concluded that the highly complex structure of the moa lineage was caused by the formation of the Southern Alps about 6 Mya, and the habitat fragmentation on both islands resulting from Pleistocene glacial cycles, volcanism , and landscape changes. The cladogram below
3003-601: The South Island, but the basic pattern of moa-habitat relationships was the same. The South Island and the North Island shared some moa species ( Euryapteryx gravis , Anomalopteryx didiformis ), but most were exclusive to one island, reflecting divergence over several thousand years since lower sea level in the Ice Age had made a land bridge across the Cook Strait . In the North Island, Dinornis novaezealandiae and Anomalopteryx didiformis dominated in high-rainfall forest habitat,
3080-506: The beaches and restore their vitality. Sections 7 and 8 of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 state: 7 Recognition of national significance of Hauraki Gulf 8 Management of Hauraki Gulf The park is distinctly different from other conservation areas of New Zealand not only by being a marine environment, but because it is home to more than one million people along its shores and on its islands. It also contains
3157-506: The bow to give instructions to the skipper. Access to the rest of the island is via a steep, unformed path up the small headland at the north end of the beach. The path is only suited to fit, agile walkers. The flatter areas to the west have very large part submerged mussel beds which extend out 100 m (328 ft) from the shore preventing easy landing. The closest mainland boat ramps are at Bucklands Beach or Half Moon Bay Marina. Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana
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3234-405: The ceremony, a mauri stone brought with them on their voyage named Tīkapa was placed on the island. The name Tīkapa Moana was adopted for the surrounding ocean, and became the name of the gulf. Some particular common or known animals include bottlenose and common dolphins , the latter sometimes seen in "super schools" of 300-500 animals or more, while various species of whales and orcas are
3311-554: The dredging having destroyed the seafloor, and sediment drainage from the agriculture in the Firth of Thames affecting the mussel's viability. Numerous beaches dot the shores of the gulf, many of them well known for swimming and surfing. Although environmental problems exist around urban areas, with 14 out of 52 beaches in the Auckland Region at least occasionally showing unsafe pollution levels (mostly because of untreated sewage ) for bathing, environmental groups are working to clean
3388-531: The east. It is thus well protected against all but northern winds. Three large channels join the gulf to the Pacific. Colville Channel lies between the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier, Cradock Channel lies between the two islands, and Jellicoe Channel lies between Little Barrier and the North Auckland Peninsula . To the north of Auckland several peninsulas jut into the gulf, notably
3465-633: The fertile volcanic soils, and establishing open and defended settlements. Three pā sites have been identified by Simmons. ‘Archaic’ type artifacts found on the island include worked moa bone, and one-piece fishhooks. Exotic stone resources including chert , basalt , argillite and obsidian from both local gulf island sources and as far afield as Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island . The name Motukorea means "Oystercatcher Island". Starting from 1820, early European visitors included Richard Cruise, Samuel Marsden and John Butler, who both traded with Maori for produce. Dumont D’Urville visited
3542-409: The food chain, led to further degradation, such as a widespread disappearance of kelp beds as they were overtaken by kina barrens. Trawler fishing in general is seen as severely damaging the gulf, and lobster stock are also reported as not rebuilding. It is estimated that today's fish stocks are around 25% of pre-European levels. Also particularly damaging are the results of nitrogen carried into
3619-413: The general area came to be controlled by Ngāti Paoa and the lands to the west were controlled by Ngāti Whātua , but the island remained under the control of Ngāti Tamaterā. Opinion is divided as to why this may be, Phillips postulates that mana may have been vested in return for assistance in battle, whereas Monin regards the occupation and sale of Motukorea as evidence of more widespread penetration of
3696-439: The gulf as the populations recover (one of two of the first confirmed birth records on New Zealand's main islands since after commercial and illegal whalings were recorded at around Milford and Browns Bay in 2012 ). Sperm whales visit occasionally. Many of the islands are official or unofficial bird sanctuaries, holding important or critically endangered species like kiwi, takahe, brown teal and grey-faced petrel. Centred on
3773-414: The gulf from surrounding agricultural land, with almost 90% coming from the dairy-farming runoff into the Firth of Thames . Other exploitation such as the dredging of the mussel beds of the Firth of Thames, reaching its height in 1961 with an estimated 15 million mussels taken (shortly before collapse of the industry) have led to damage which has not been recovered from forty years later, possibly due to
3850-406: The gulf. Particularly damaging were the introduction of industrialised fishing , with for example snapper fishing peaking in the 1970s at more than 10,000 tonnes a year (though even in the 2000s, private fishing of this species is also a considerable factor, weighing in at 400–800 tonnes a year). This severe overfishing, which unbalanced the marine environment by the removal of a main predator in
3927-477: The habitat preferences of individual moa species, and revealed distinctive regional moa faunas: The two main faunas identified in the South Island include: A ' subalpine fauna' might include the widespread D. robustus , and the two other moa species that existed in the South Island: Significantly less is known about North Island paleofaunas, due to the scarcity of fossil sites compared to
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#17328550686214004-580: The inner Gulf by numerous Hauraki iwi and hapu. Motukorea's location at the mouth of the Tāmaki River was certainly important as it effectively controlled access up the river, and as a result Te Tō Waka (the Ōtāhuhu portage) and nearby Karetu portage through to the Manukau Harbour . The archaeological remains suggest Motukorea was intensively occupied in pre-European times, with people engaged in stone working industry, marine exploitation, gardening of
4081-485: The island in 1827 and reported it abandoned, probably on account of the musket wars . Being already abandoned by Ngāti Tamaterā and located a considerable distance from where they were based in Coromandel, Te Kanini of Ngāti Tamaterā and the sub-chiefs Katikati and Ngatai were willing to sell Motukorea when William Brown and Logan Campbell indicated a desire to buy the island on 22 May 1840. Brown and Campbell settled on
4158-597: The island until 1968 when it became part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park . Management control was vested in the Department of Lands and Survey and in 1987 this was transferred to the Department of Conservation. After the demise of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park Board in July 1990, the Auckland City Council was again the designated administering body, and passed back the responsibility for management to
4235-493: The island until February the following year to manage the pig farm, and likely to watch over their vested interest in the island. In 1856 both men left the colony for Great Britain, appointing a resident manager in charge of their affairs. Campbell eventually bought out Brown's share in their business, including Motukorea, in May 1873 for £40,000 when Brown refused to return from Britain to resume control of their affairs. This transaction
4312-405: The island where there is a 100 m (328 ft) long beach, backed by a steep cliff. Navigation is difficult as there is a 70 m (230 ft) long rock reef parallel to the beach. The reef is marked by a beacon. Inside the reef there are small isolated rocks but there is sufficient water between them for a small (up to 6 m or 19.7 ft) craft to move. A crew member should be placed in
4389-399: The lee of the Coromandel Peninsula; and Channel Island in the outer gulf. In March 2020, a small excavation was carried out in a large coastal midden on Otata Island. In January 2018, huge swells in the Hauraki Gulf caused widespread damage to its coastal areas and in only a few hours, the coastline or Otata had been reduced by up to 5 meters, exposing the midden. The aim of the excavation
4466-417: The main conservation island of Tiritiri Matangi and Little Barrier Island , numerous bird species that were locally extinct have been reintroduced in the last decades, while there have also been some naturally occurring bird "re-colonisations", especially after introduced pests were removed from breeding and nesting grounds. The gulf is a vibrant natural environment, which has seen significant damage during
4543-537: The moa's traditional name was "te kura" (the red bird). Moa skeletons were traditionally reconstructed in an upright position to create impressive height, but analysis of their vertebral articulations indicates that they probably carried their heads forward, in the manner of a kiwi . The spine was attached to the rear of the head rather than the base, indicating the horizontal alignment. This would have let them graze on low vegetation, while being able to lift their heads and browse trees when necessary. This has resulted in
4620-436: The most fragile of all avian eggs measured to date. Moreover, sex-specific DNA recovered from the outer surfaces of eggshells belonging to species of Dinornis and Euryapteryx suggest that these very thin eggs were likely to have been incubated by the lighter males. The thin nature of the eggshells of these larger species of moa, even if incubated by the male, suggests that egg breakage in these species would have been common if
4697-422: The nesting material provide evidence that the nesting season was late spring to summer. Fragments of moa eggshell are often found in archaeological sites and sand dunes around the New Zealand coast. Thirty-six whole moa eggs exist in museum collections and vary greatly in size (from 120–240 millimetres (4.7–9.4 in) in length and 91–178 millimetres (3.6–7.0 in) wide). The outer surface of moa eggshell
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#17328550686214774-534: The new capital for the colony. A flagpole was to be erected on the summit and the island claimed for the Crown, but upon hearing what was transpiring, Brown and Campbell returned to their island and protested their right to occupy the island. The idea was abandoned, but Governor Hobson refused the application for a Crown grant made by Brown in August 1840. The official reason for the refusal was that Brown and Campbell's purchase
4851-426: The now Australia-based Sydney mud cockle (Anadara trapezia) have been found amongst shell beds deposited from the volcano. After dry, fire-fountaining eruptions built the several scoria cones around the main crater, the sea rapidly eroded the tuff on the northern side of the island, and together with shell deposited the extensive flats on the south and west of the cone. A shallow reef extends 200m offshore. During
4928-542: The one that was lost in 1915. The Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board purchased the island in 1946 proposing to build a sewage treatment plant. Controversy surrounding the proposal forced the plan to be abandoned and the island was eventually purchased by Sir Ernest Davis, who presented it as a gift to the people of Auckland in July 1955. Ernest Davis had been the chairperson of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company for 20 years which may further explain some of his affinity with Browns Island. The Auckland City Council administered
5005-487: The plains, turning east and exiting towards the Pacific Ocean along the modern-day Colville Channel between the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island. In the west of the gulf lie a string of islands guarding the mouth of the Waitematā Harbour , one of Auckland's two harbours. These include Ponui Island , Waiheke Island , Tiritiri Matangi and the iconic dome of Rangitoto Island (a dormant volcano ), which
5082-409: The smallest, the bush moa ( Anomalopteryx didiformis ), was around the size of a turkey . Estimates of the moa population when Polynesians settled New Zealand circa 1300 vary between 58,000 and approximately 2.5 million. Moa are traditionally placed in the ratite group. However, genetic studies have found that their closest relatives are the flighted South American tinamous , once considered
5159-770: The southern half of the North Island. About eight moa trackways , with fossilised moa footprint impressions in fluvial silts, have been found in the North Island, including Waikanae Creek (1872), Napier (1887), Manawatū River (1895), Marton (1896), Palmerston North (1911) (see photograph to left), Rangitīkei River (1939), and under water in Lake Taupō (1973). Analysis of the spacing of these tracks indicates walking speeds between 3 and 5 km/h (1.75–3 mph). Their diet has been deduced from fossilised contents of their gizzards and coprolites , as well as indirectly through morphological analysis of skull and beak, and stable isotope analysis of their bones. Moa fed on
5236-536: The split between Megalapteryx and the other taxa. The Oligocene Drowning Maximum event, which occurred about 22 Mya, when only 18% of present-day New Zealand was above sea level, is very important in the moa radiation. Because the basal moa split occurred so recently (5.8 Mya), it was argued that ancestors of the Quaternary moa lineages could not have been present on both the South and North Island remnants during
5313-517: The three species of Dinornis were reclassified as two species, one each formerly occurring on New Zealand's North Island ( D. novaezealandiae ) and South Island ( D. robustus ); D. robustus however, comprises three distinct genetic lineages and may eventually be classified as many species, as discussed above. Examination of growth rings in moa cortical bone has revealed that these birds were K-selected , as are many other large endemic New Zealand birds. They are characterised by having
5390-566: The volcanic landforms easily visible. It exhibits the landforms from three styles of eruption. The island consists of one main scoria cone with a deep crater, a small remnant arc of the tuff ring forming the cliffs in the northeast, and the upper portions of lava flows . The area was dry land when the eruptions occurred, but much of the lava is now submerged beneath the sea. 36°49′50″S 174°53′41″E / 36.8306°S 174.8948°E / -36.8306; 174.8948 Motukorea erupted approximately 24,500 years ago. It began life with
5467-551: The western side of the island from 13 August 1840, making it one of the earliest European settlements in the Auckland area. They built a raupo whare and ran pigs on the island, using it as a base from which they aspired to establish and supply the town of Auckland as soon as land was available on the isthmus. Not long after Brown and Campbell had taken up residence on the island, Ngāti Whātua chief Āpihai Te Kawau gifted it to Captain Hobson in order to entice him to select Auckland as
5544-740: Was a stream formed by the major Hauraki Plains rivers: the Waihou River , Piako River and Waitakaruru River . Prior to the Oruanui eruption 27,000 years ago, the Waikato River also flowed into the Hauraki Gulf at the Firth of Thames . The Hauraki Plains rivers were met by two tributaries, the Wairoa River to the west from modern-day Clevedon and the Umangawha Stream to the east, at Colville , Coromandel Peninsula . This river flowed north, along
5621-474: Was carried out via William Baker who appears to have acted as an intermediary, receiving Brown's share for two days while the transaction was being carried out. In 1877 Campbell proposed to transplant olive trees to Motukorea and 5000 seedlings were grown in a nursery on One Tree Hill for this purpose, but were never transplanted. Campbell eventually sold the island to the Featherstone family in 1879, who built
5698-419: Was discovered in 1977 on the island and named for it. Other features include a collapsed Lava cave depression which can be seen on the northwestern flats of the island. The island is not served by ferries , so private boats and seaplanes are the only means of access. There is no wharf or easy access to the island for larger vessels. For small craft the best landing is on the more sheltered northern side of
5775-510: Was made after Sir George Gipps' 1840 proclamation forbidding direct land purchases from the Maori. It was not until Robert FitzRoy assumed the role of governor in 1843 that Brown and Campbell's fortunes changed. The grant was officially made on 22 October 1844. Campbell left the island in December 1840 to set up a trading business in the newly established settlement of Auckland, while Brown remained on
5852-513: Was submerged when the sea reached its current level around 7200 years ago. During this period, the area was home to two river systems. The first of these was a river formed by two tributaries, the Mahurangi River and Waitematā Harbour (then a river) acting as tributaries. This river flowed north-east between modern day Little Barrier Island and Great Barrier Island , and emptied into the Pacific Ocean north of Great Barrier Island. The second
5929-500: Was to record this information before it is lost to erosion and was carried out in partnership with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki , the landowners. An understanding the changing marine environment around the island will also form part of the work. At the southern end of the gulf is the wide, relatively shallow Firth of Thames . Beyond this lie the Hauraki Plains , drained by the Waihou River and the Piako River . The Hunua Ranges and hills of
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