The Extraordinary Moa and its Eggs
| |

The Extraordinary Moa and its Eggs

This article explores the remarkable story of New Zealand’s extinct moa through its giant but fragile eggs. From the famous Kaikōura egg buried alongside a Māori skeleton to scattered fragments in caves and middens, moa eggs reveal a world of careful nesting, male incubation, and deep cultural significance. With low reproductive rates and no defences against introduced species, moas vanished within centuries of human arrival. Today, their eggs stand as poignant symbols of lost abundance and the fragility of island life.

The Elephant Bird’s Giant Egg: Legend, Legacy, and Latest Discoveries
| |

The Elephant Bird’s Giant Egg: Legend, Legacy, and Latest Discoveries

The story of the elephant bird’s egg weaves together biology and paleontology, myth and history, and cutting-edge science. It is a tale that spans continents and centuries, from ancient Indian Ocean legends of giant birds, to modern museum displays and DNA laboratories. Here is the tale of an egg as big as a basketball, holding secrets of the past.

Egg-Laying Mammals: The Curious World of Monotremes
|

Egg-Laying Mammals: The Curious World of Monotremes

Enter the curious world of the monotremes. We’ll explore their ancient origins, meet the modern platypus and echidnas, and learn how these mammals form and care for their eggs. We’ll discover what their eggs are like, from size and structure to incubation, and peek into the nesting burrows and pouches where devoted mothers tend their fragile, hatchling young.

Reconstructing Mesozoic Bird Eggs Using Non-Invasive Methods
| | |

Reconstructing Mesozoic Bird Eggs Using Non-Invasive Methods

Reconstructing the size, shape, surface texture, and coloration of extinct Mesozoic bird eggs is challenging because actual egg specimens from Mesozoic birds are extremely rare. Paleontologists must rely on indirect, non-destructive methods to infer these characteristics for museum displays and scientific understanding. Here we outline key non-invasive methods and their applications, with examples from recent scientific literature.