T. H. Worthy: The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric Life of New Zealand. Indiana University Press 2002

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It’s time again for a book presentation, otherwise I won’t be able to keep up.

The Lost World of the Moa – the lost world of the Moa(s) is a really comprehensive (718 pages) work that deals with the wildlife of New Zealand, more precisely with that of prehistoric New Zealand, from a time before the first humans touched their feet put on New Zealand ground.

Not only are all species of Moa(s) presented and virtually everything summarized that has anything to do with them, but also all other bird species, but also reptile and amphibian species of this large group of islands; the entire New Zealand fauna region is covered – i.e. the New Zealand main islands and the sub-Antarctic islands but also Macquarie Island and the Norfolk Islands, which politically belong to Australia, but faunistically clearly to New Zealand.

It is frightening how many species have completely disappeared within such a short period of human colonization; but it is also very interesting how much we can still learn about them today.

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One must not forget that this book is almost 20 years old today and thus a number of new findings have been added and the same book, if one wrote it today, would probably be twice as thick.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in New Zealand Fauna or Paleontology.

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edited: 21.11.2020