Abstract
Knowledge about the diet and ecology of extinct herbivores has important implications for understanding the evolution of plant defence structures, establishing the influences of herbivory on past plant community structure and composition, and identifying pollination and seed dispersal syndromes. The flightless ratite moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) were New Zealand’s largest herbivores prior to their extinction soon after initial human settlement. Here we contribute to the knowledge of moa diet and ecology by reporting the results of a multidisciplinary study of 35 coprolites from a subalpine cave (Euphrates Cave) on the South Island of New Zealand. Ancient DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating revealed the coprolites were deposited by the extinct upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus), and span from at least 6,368±31 until 694±30 14C years BP; the approximate time of their extinction. Using pollen, plant macrofossil, and ancient DNA analyses, we identified at least 67 plant taxa from the coprolites, including the first evidence that moa fed on the nectar-rich flowers of New Zealand flax (Phormium) and tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata). The plant assemblage from the coprolites reflects a highly-generalist feeding ecology for upland moa, including browsing and grazing across the full range of locally available habitats (spanning southern beech (Nothofagus) forest to tussock (Chionochloa) grassland). Intact seeds in the coprolites indicate that upland moa may have been important dispersal agents for several plant taxa. Plant taxa with putative anti-browse adaptations were also identified in the coprolites. Clusters of coprolites (based on pollen assemblages, moa haplotypes, and radiocarbon dates), probably reflect specimens deposited at the same time by individual birds, and reveal the necessity of suitably large sample sizes in coprolite studies to overcome potential biases in diet interpretation.
Highlights
Large herbivores are key components of terrestrial ecosystems [1], providing essential ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, pollination and nutrient cycling
The widespread extinction of many large herbivores during the late Pleistocene and Holocene has resulted in the loss of the ecosystem processes provided by these animals, fundamentally altering the functioning of ecosystems across the globe [5,6,7,8]
Study Site (Euphrates Cave) The largest entrance to Euphrates Cave [36] is located at the treeline (c. 1000 m elevation), at the base of a buttress cliff demarcating the eastern end of the Garibaldi Plateau (41u 149 1799 S, 172u 259 4999 E), in Kahurangi National Park, South Island, New Zealand (Figs. 1a, 1b)
Summary
Large herbivores are key components of terrestrial ecosystems [1], providing essential ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, pollination and nutrient cycling. They play a major role in shaping vegetation community composition and structure, and influencing fire regimes [2,3,4,5]. Understanding the wider ecological implications of these extinctions relies partly on detailed information about the habitats and diets of extinct herbivores Such information can be obtained in several ways, including analysis of skeletal morphology [9], tooth-wear [10], bone isotopes [11] and coprolites [12]. Despite the relative plethora of well-preserved fossil remains, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the paleoecology of moa, with respect to diet, habitat use, and niche partitioning
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