By studying the fossilized poop of an extinct flightless bird called the moa, scientists are learning how it helped support its ecosystem (group of plants and animals that affect each other). Moa roamed New Zealand before being hunted into extinction about 600 years ago. Researchers recently examined moa coprolites (fossilized poop) and found traces of a bright purple fungi (above) that grew on the island.
Fungi help their ecosystem, providing nutrients to the soil and protecting plants from harm, and are usually spread around by mammals that eat them and poop them out. In this case, the researchers realized, the moa did that instead, perhaps mistaking the colorful fungi for berries. Now that the birds are extinct, the colorful fungi is not as common.…
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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 255