History
It was discovered in 1802 by Matthew Flinders and reported to be quite common around Nepean Bay. The first bones of the species were discovered in 1903 at The Brecknells, sandhills on the west side of Cape Gantheaume. Initially there was confusion regarding the taxonomic status and geographic origin of the Kangaroo Island Emu, particularly with respect to their relationship to King Island Emu, which were also transported to France as part of the same expedition. The expeditions logbooks failed to clearly state where and when dwarf emu individuals were collected. This led to both taxa being interpreted as a single taxon and that it originated from Kangaroo Island. More recent finds of sub-fossil material and subsequent studies on King and Kangaroo Island Emu confirm their separate geographic origin and distinct morphology. Due to this confusion, it only received its current scientific name in 1984, after a thorough revision of the extinct emus by Shane A. Parker. He based it on a sub-fossil specimen from Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Specimen SAM B689Ib, a left tarsometatarsus, is the holotype.
The species is known from historical observer accounts and from bones, including sets deposited at the South Australian Museum. The mounted skin that can be seen at the Natural History Museum of Geneva in Switzerland and the skeleton exhibited in the Natural history Museum of Paris belong to the same individual. The Geneva specimen is thus the only skin left on earth of this taxon.
It is believed that this emu lived in the interior forest.
The species' extinction has been attributed to hunting and habitat clearance through burning.
Read more about this topic: Kangaroo Island Emu
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