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Glite Dictionary
Dinornithiformes

Dinornithiformes

9.9
Large flightless birds like moas from New Zealand that are now extinct
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : dinornitiformes
  • All members of the Dinornithiformes were flightless and native to New Zealand.

Examples

  • The Dinornithiformes included some of the largest birds to ever live.

  • Scientists have studied fossils of Dinornithiformes to understand their extinction.

  • The Dinornithiformes were the largest birds to ever exist.

  • Many Dinornithiformes fossils have been discovered in New Zealand.

  • All members of the Dinornithiformes were flightless birds that lived in New Zealand.

  • Scientists have discovered many fossils of Dinornithiformes to learn more about their behavior.

  • The Dinornithiformes were known for being some of the largest birds to have existed.

Synonyms

moa
vsDinornithiformes
  • New Zealand
1 9.9

A very large bird from New Zealand that cannot fly and is now extinct

is a broad group covering many related families rather than a single bird
Dinornithidae
vsDinornithiformes
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of very large extinct flightless birds from New Zealand called moas

is broader in rank covering several related groups instead of one

Surface Forms

Dinornithiformes singular
Dinornithiforme singular

Morphology

Dinornithiformes = Dinornis (opaque) = Dinornith + iformes

This is a scientific taxonomic name built from the moa genus Dinornis plus the classical order suffix -iformes, so its meaning is not readily recoverable for an average learner.

Etymology

Dinornithiformes comes from Greek parts: dino- 'terrible' (the same dino- you see in dinosaur) and ornis 'bird', plus the ending -iformes meaning 'in the form of'. So the name pictures 'terrible birds' and is used for the very large, flightless moas of New Zealand.