Moa Leg Bones Replicas
Moa Leg Bones Replicas

Moa Leg Bone Replicas Kit

$405.00

Moa leg bones have some of the thickest “cortex” (the hard outer shell) of any bird. While most birds have thin, eggshell-like bone walls to stay light for flight, the femur and tibiotarsus of a giant moa are nearly solid.

SKU: C-026A-026B-026C Tags: , ,

Description

Moa Leg Bone Replicas Kit (Dinornis novaezealandiae) Information

Moa leg bone replicas kit are 1:1 museum-quality polyurethane resin replica casts. Dinornis novaezealandiae bone kit includes Tibiotarsus, Tarsometarus & Femur. Made in USA.

The Moa or Dinornis novaezealandiae leg bone replicas measure:

A: C026A Moa Tibiotarsus bone 31.3 inches.

B: C206B Moa Tarsometarus 17.7 inches.

C: C206C Moa Femur 12.6 inches.

HIND LIMB OSTEOLOGY: THE GIANT MOA

1. THE FEMUR (Thigh Bone)

  • Item Code: C206C
  • Measurement: 12.6 inches
  • Position: The most proximal (top) bone of the leg, connecting the hip to the knee.
  • Anatomy: Features a rounded femoral head that fits into the pelvic socket and a large trochanter for massive muscle attachments.
  • Unlike modern birds with hollow bones for flight, the moa femur was marrow-filled and thick-walled. It was built for “graviportal” support—meaning its primary job was carrying the 500lb+ weight of the bird rather than speed.

2. THE TIBIOTARSUS (Shin Bone)

  • Item Code: C026A
  • Measurement: 31.3 inches
  • Position: The middle leg bone, connecting the knee to the ankle.
  • Anatomy: Formed by the fusion of the tibia with the upper ankle bones (tarsals). It features a prominent cnemial crest at the top and condyles at the bottom.
  • This is the longest bone in the moa’s body. In your 31.3-inch specimen, the extensor canal near the bottom acted like a pulley for tendons, allowing the moa to flex its massive feet with incredible strength.

3. THE TARSOMETATARSUS (Lower Leg/Foot Bone)

  • Item Code: C206B
  • Measurement: 17.7 inches
  • Position: The bottom leg bone, connecting the ankle to the toes.
  • Anatomy: A single, rigid bone created by the fusion of the lower ankle and three mid-foot bones. It ends in three “knuckles” called trochleae.
  • What humans often call the “backward knee” in birds is actually the joint at the top of this bone. The moa walked on its “tiptoes” its entire life. The hypotarsus (a bony block at the top) acted as a mechanical stabilizer for the bird’s heavy, three-toed “tripod” stance.

THE FULL LEG ASSEMBLY

When stacked, these three bones create a hind limb nearly 5 feet long. Because of the way the joints angled in life, a moa standing on these legs would have held its head forward, reaching heights of nearly 10 feet tall.

Scientific Classification

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Infraclass: Palaeognathae
  • Clade: Notopalaeognathae
  • Clade: Dinocrypturi
  • Order: †Dinornithiformes Bonaparte, 1853
  • Type species: †Dinornis novaezealandiae Owen, 1843

Temporal range:

  • Miocene – Holocene, 17–0.0006 Ma

Reconstruct the massive hind limb of New Zealand’s extinct giant with this 1:1 scale museum-quality moa leg bone replicas kit. This three-piece collection includes the 12.6-inch femur, the 31.3-inch tibiotarsus, and the 17.7-inch tarsometatarsus essential for dinornithiform osteology studies. It serves as a vital comparative tool alongside our dodo skeleton, Velociraptor mounted skeleton, and Archaeopteryx skull replica. This Dinornis novaezealandiae assembly provides the exact graviportal bone density and anatomical detail required by professional biologists and paleozoology researchers. Shop for more museum-quality replicas in our bird or aves replica store.

Additional information

Weight 3 lbs

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