Research Catalog

Title

Moa : the dramatic story of the discovery of a giant bird / Richard Wolfe.

Author

Wolfe, Richard

Publication

Auckland, N.Z. ; New York : Penguin Books, 2003.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

249 p. : ill., map; 20 cm.

Summary

"In 1839, on the basis of a single mysterious fragment of bone from the other side of the world, the great English anatomist Richard Owen reached the conclusion that it came from an unknown gigantic flightless bird. Despite this being shortly before it is time of Darwin and the great evolution debate, many initially thought Owen's claim preposterous. A huge new bird that couldn't fly? Like an ostrich? Ridiculous!"--Jacket.

Subject

• Owen, Richard, 1804-1892
• Moas > New Zealand
• Extinct birds > New Zealand

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-238) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Introduction : on the wings of a moa -- Ch. 1. An unpromising fragment -- Ch. 2. The flax factor -- Ch. 3. Trade and exchange -- Ch. 4. With God on their side -- Ch. 5. Dissension in the ranks -- Ch. 6. Give the man a bone -- Ch. 7. The lone fragment -- Ch. 8. Bound for the Antipodes -- Ch. 9. Fossils, frogs and grains of sand -- Ch. 10. In search of natural knowledge -- Ch. 11. Extinguished features -- Ch. 12. Creating monsters -- Ch. 13. Back to the bone.

ISBN

0143018736 (pbk.)

LCCN

^^2003374105

OCLC

• 53460478
• SCSB-12271919

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library