Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Nuclear DNA sequences detect species limits in ancient moa

Nature volume 425, pages 175–178 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Ancient DNA studies have typically used multi-copy mitochondrial DNA sequences1,2. This is largely because single-locus nuclear genes have been difficult to recover from sub-fossil material3, restricting the scope of ancient DNA research. Here, we have isolated single-locus nuclear DNA markers to assign the sex of 115 extinct moa and, in combination with a mitochondrial DNA phylogeny, tested competing hypotheses about the specific status of moa taxa. Moa were large ratite birds that showed extreme size variation both within and among species4. For some taxa, this large variation was hypothesized to represent sexual dimorphism, while for others it was argued to reflect the existence of different species5. Our results show that moa were characterized by extreme reverse sexual dimorphism and as a result we have been able to clarify the number of moa species. For example, we show that the three recognized ‘species’ of Dinornis comprised only two monophyletic groups and that two of these ‘species’ comprised individuals of one sex only. This study also illustrates that single-locus nuclear DNA sequences can be consistently recovered from ancient material.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Molecular sexing of moa.
Figure 2: Phylogenetic relationships among currently recognized moa taxa.
Figure 3: Comparison of coefficients of variation for femora lengths with female:male mass, in moa.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Higuchi, R. et al. DNA sequences from the quagga, an extinct member of the horse family. Nature 312, 282–284 (1984)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Herrmann, B. & Hummel, S. (eds) Ancient DNA (Springer, New York, 1993)

  3. Cooper, A. & Wayne, R. New uses for old DNA. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 9, 49–53 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anderson, A. J. Prodigious Birds: Moas and Moa-Hunting in Prehistoric New Zealand (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK, 1989)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cracraft, J. The species of moa. Smithson. Contrib. Paleobiol. 27, 189–205 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Pikô, L. & Taylor, K. D. Amounts of mitochondrial DNA and abundance of some mitochondrial gene transcripts in early mouse embryos. Dev. Biol. 123, 364–374 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hofreiter, M., Serre, D., Poinar, H. N., Kuch, M. & Pääbo, S. Ancient DNA. Nature Rev. Genet. 2, 353–359 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cooper, A. et al. Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two extinct moas clarify ratite evolution. Nature 409, 704–707 (2001)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Haddrath, O. & Baker, A. J. Complete mitochondrial DNA genome sequences of extinct birds: ratite phylogenetics and the vicariance biogeography hypothesis. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 268, 939–945 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Leonard, J. A. et al. Ancient DNA evidence for Old World origin of New World dogs. Science 298, 1613–1616 (2002)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Asfaw, B. et al. Remains of Homo erectus from Bouri, Middle Awash, Ethiopia. Nature 416, 317–320 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Weins, J. & Penkrot, T. Delimiting species using DNA and morphological variation and discordant species limits in spiny lizards (Sceloporus). Syst. Biol. 51, 69–91 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Holdaway, R. N. & Jacomb, C. Rapid extinction of the moas (Aves: Dinornithiformes): model, test, and implications. Science 287, 2250–2254 (2000)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Polack, J. New Zealand, Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures (Richard Bentley, London, 1838)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Owen, R. On the bone of an unknown struthious bird from New Zealand, meeting of November 12, 1839. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. VII, 169–171 (1839)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Worthy, T. H. & Holdaway, R. N. The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric Life of New Zealand (Canterbury Univ. Press, Christchurch, 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Clinton, M. & Haines, L. C. An overview of factors influencing sex determination and gonadal development in birds. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 55 876–886 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ansari, H., Kakagi, N. & Sasaki, M. Morphological differentiation of sex chromosomes in three species of ratite birds. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 47, 185–188 (1988)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Huynen, L., Millar, C. D. & Lambert, D. M. A DNA test to sex ratite birds. Mol. Ecol. 11, 851–856 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Griffiths, R., Double, M. C., Orr, K. & Dawson, R. J. A DNA test to sex most birds. Mol. Ecol. 7, 1071–1076 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ellegren, H. First gene on the avian W chromosome (CHD) provides a tag for universal sexing of non-ratite birds. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 263, 1635–1641 (1996)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Taberlet, P. & Luikart, G. Non-invasive genetic sampling and individual identification. Biol. J. Linnean Soc. 68, 41–55 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Taberlet, P. et al. Reliable genotyping of samples with very low DNA quantities using PCR. Nucleic Acids Res. 24, 3189–3194 (1996)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Worthy, T. H. An illustrated key to the main leg bones of moas (Aves: Dinornithiformes). Nat. Mus. NZ Misc. Ser. 17, 1–27 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Cooper, A. in Avian Molecular Evolution and Molecular Systematics (ed. Mindell, D.) 345–373 (Academic Press, New York, 1997)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  26. Prange, H. D., Anderson, J. F. & Rahn, H. Scaling of skeletal mass to body mass in birds and mammals. Am. Nat. 113, 103–122 (1979)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lambert, D. M. et al. Rates of evolution in ancient DNA from Adélie penguins. Science 295, 2270–2273 (2002)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1989)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Griffiths, R. & Tiwari, B. Sex of the last wild Spix's macaw. Nature 375, 454 (1995)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Swofford, D. L. PAUP*: Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (*and Other Methods) Version 4.0b10 (Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 2002)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was made possible by grants from the Marsden Fund, Massey University and the Centres of Research Excellence Fund. We are grateful to the following institutions and people: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Canterbury Museum, Auckland Institute and Museum, Massey University, Otago Museum, Waitomo Caves Museum, Whanganui Regional Museum, Te Manawa Museum, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, J. Anderson, J. A. Bartle, A. Tennyson, T. Worthy and V. Ward. We appreciate the support of a number of iwi, especially Ngai Tahu and Ngati Kahungunu.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland, New Zealand

    L. Huynen & D. M. Lambert

  2. Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    C. D. Millar

  3. Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue, 8001, Christchurch, New Zealand

    R. P. Scofield

Authors
  1. L. Huynen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. D. Millar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. P. Scofield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. M. Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. M. Lambert.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huynen, L., Millar, C., Scofield, R. et al. Nuclear DNA sequences detect species limits in ancient moa. Nature 425, 175–178 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01838

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01838

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing