The thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, was a carnivorous marsupial that lived in Australia until it was killed off by humans. The last known member of the species died in 1936.
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New Zealand was completely uninhabited by people until around 1250 AD.
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New Zealand was once home to the giant moa, a flightless bird that could rise to a height of 12 feet and could weigh up to 600 pounds. It was driven to extinction shortly after the first people arrived in New Zealand.
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Elephant birds from Madagascar weighed up to 1,000 pounds, with eggs weighing as much as 22 pounds. They were driven to extinction by humans before 1700 AD.
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In the year 874 AD, Ingólfr Arnarson became the first person to permanently settle on the island of Iceland - at least according to the traditional story.
The extinction of the Thylacine is more complicated than that. While the bounty on its head probably put the last nail its coffin, and the other factors in its demise, such as land clearing and feral dogs, were mostly caused by humans, it also suffered from a distemper-like disease that played a big part in killing it off. In that respect its like the Tasmanian Devil, which is currently hurtling toward extinction. The devil suffers from pressure caused by human activity, but also from a contagious cancer.
It's a shame the giant moa went flightless and extinct. A flock of twelve foot tall, 600 pound flying birds would definitely add some adventure to our lives.
Not just in Australia and New Zealand, animals around the world have always been threatened by human behaviour, It is only that Australia and NZ were colonised last by mankind, so the animals are better known. Give this planet a few more years of a growing population (now 7+ billion) and nearly all once wild animals will only be found in zoos, such favourites as elephants, rhinos, lions, gorillas, etc etc.
Much more solidly built than an ostrich as weren't built for speed. Their habitat being forest rather than grasslands with no predators (pre humans) except for the Haast Eagle.
No surprise given that it hunted Moa that the Haast is the biggest eagle ever. Also no surprise that it became extinct shortly after the Moa.
Moa are the only truly wingless bird not having the vestigal wings of other flightless birds, like the Kiwi.
Ingolfur Arnarson was the first Nordic "permanent" settler in Iceland but the Irish Monks were already there when he arrived. The monks left shortly thereafter, so maybe that's where the "permanent" part comes from. Ingolfur also hunted down the Irish slaves that killed his brother (the slaves were caught in the Westmann Islands, named after them).
This is not a traditional story--it is fact. His homes have been found and studied by the archeologists. It is recorded in the Sagas and other Norse books. It has been passed down through the generations.
NZ had lots of flightless birds because of the almost total absence of mammals until humans arrived
The Moa went extinct because they were delicious ;)
No surprise given that it hunted Moa that the Haast is the biggest eagle ever. Also no surprise that it became extinct shortly after the Moa.
Moa are the only truly wingless bird not having the vestigal wings of other flightless birds, like the Kiwi.