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On the massive legs of a Moa ( Pachyornis elephantopus , Dinornithes)
Author(s) -
Alexander R. McN.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1983.tb04282.x
Subject(s) - biology , femur , anatomy , paleontology
Pachyornis , which is extinct, was a huge bird with massively thick leg bones. These have been measured, to assess their strength. A mathematical model is used to calculate the forces that must have acted on them, when Pachyornis ran. Hence it is shown that the stresses likely to have acted on them are similar in magnitude to the stresses experienced (in stenuous activities) by bones of modem birds and mammals. The femur and tarsometatanus, however, seem disproportionately strong in comparison with the tibiotanus.