Thambetochen

<i>Thambetochen</i>

Thambetochen

Extinct genus of ducks

Thambetochen is an extinct genus of moa-nalo duck. It contains two species, the Maui Nui moa-nalo (T. chauliodous) and the smaller O'ahu moa-nalo (T. xanion).[1]

Restoration of T. xanion
Restoration of T. chauliodous and Ptaiochen pau

Quick Facts Thambetochen Temporal range: Holocene, Scientific classification ...

The former was found on Maui and Molokai on Hawaii, the latter was found on Oahu. These birds were large, flightless ducks, with robust legs but small wings, which had evolved in isolation, on islands without terrestrial mammals. Their beaks had tooth-like lamellae and their diet was plants which they digested through hindgut fermentation. These birds were likely driven to extinction when the islands were colonised by Polynesians.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    Hume, J. P.; Walters, M. (2012). Extinct Birds. A & C Black. ISBN 978-1408157251.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Thambetochen, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.