The mummified claw of an upland moa, so perfectly preserved it still had muscle, skin, and sinew intact.

A FRIGHTENING giant claw from an extinct beast has been found mummified with flesh remaining – but it’s not the animal most would expect.

The mysterious animal part was unearthed on Mount Owen in New Zealand and has been extinct for nearly 800 years – making it a breakthrough discovery at the time.

a close up of a bird claw with a label on it

4
The terrifying claw was found in a cave in New ZealandCredit: Ancient Origins
a painting by heinrich harder shows a man and two birds

4
Human’s over-hunting and destructing the moa’s habitat led to their extinctionCredit: Getty

Experts were left baffled after discovering the fossilised remains of a moa bird in 1987.

The ginormous claw was found extremely well-preserved with skin still remaining, putting scientists in a great position to analyse the now-extinct specimen.

This specific beast is now only able to be seen in museums but has no revealed secrets of the bird that no one’s seen for nearly 1000 years.

The moa claw that was found is estimated to be over a shocking 3,300 years old.

But DNA analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that the first beast appeared around a whopping 18.5 million years ago.

There were also at least ten species of moa’s but were made extinct in what was dubbed “the most rapid, human-facilitated megafauna extinction documented to date.”

Sub-species of the bird reached over a terrifying 10ft and was once the largest species of bird on the planet.

Related Posts

Reconstructing the Revered Physiognomy of Egypt’s Legendary Ruler, Ramses II

The Rise of a Legend From Prince to Pharaoh In the golden age of ancient Egypt, a young prince named Ramesses II ascended to the throne, forever…

Unveiling the Mysteries of the Treasury of Atreus: A Glimpse into Mycenaean Grandeur

The Hidden Gem of Ancient Greece In the heart of Mycenae, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies a testament to the ingenuity and grandeur of ancient Greek…

The Eternal Embrace: Unearthing the 6,000-Year-Old Love Story of Valdaro’s Neolithic Romeo and Juliet

A Remarkable Neolithic Discovery In 2007, archaeologists made an extraordinary find in a Neolithic tomb near Mantua, Italy. Inside lay the skeletons of two young lovers, around…

Eight Ancient Egyptian mummies that lived 3,000 years ago are discovered in the same pyramid as King AmenH๏τh II who brought peace between Egypt and Mitanni

Archeologists have uncovered eight mummies dating back to the era of the pharaohs in an exciting new discovery that continues to reveal the hidden treasures of Ancient…

King Tutankhamun’s Tomb: Unveiling a Century of Secrets

November 4, 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter. The event propelled the once obscure boy king to…

Discovering Maresha: An Examination of the Polish Cave’s Historical Importance and Its Links to Ancient Israel

In the rolling Judean Lowlands of Israel lies an archaeological marvel that bridges millennia of human history. The ancient city of Maresha, with its intricate network of…