biostudies-literatureUnknown10(21)Edwards SVWe present a draft genome of the little bush moa (<i>Anomalopteryx didiformis</i>)-one of approximately nine species of extinct flightless birds from Aotearoa, New Zealand-using ancient DNA recovered from a fossil bone from the South Island. We recover a complete mitochondrial genome at 249.9× depth of coverage and almost 900 megabases of a male moa nuclear genome at ~4 to 5× coverage, with sequence contiguity sufficient to identify more than 85% of avian universal single-copy orthologs. We describe a diverse landscape of transposable elements and satellite repeats, estimate a long-term effective population size of ~240,000, identify a diverse suite of olfactory receptor genes and an opsin repertoire with sensitivity in the ultraviolet range, show that the wingless moa phenotype is likely Science advanceseadj6823https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11809649biostudies-literatureA nuclear genome assembly of an extinct flightless bird, the little bush moa.PMC11809649Katoh KBaldwin MWBaker AJEdwards SVDriver RSackton TBCloutier ACockburn GGrayson PfalseA nuclear genome assembly of an extinct flightless bird, the little bush moa.We present a draft genome of the little bush moa (<i>Anomalopteryx didiformis</i>)-one of approximately nine species of extinct flightless birds from Aotearoa, New Zealand-using ancient DNA recovered from a fossil bone from the South Island. We recover a complete mitochondrial genome at 249.9× depth of coverage and almost 900 megabases of a male moa nuclear genome at ~4 to 5× coverage, with sequence contiguity sufficient to identify more than 85% of avian universal single-copy orthologs. We describe a diverse landscape of transposable elements and satellite repeats, estimate a long-term effective population size of ~240,000, identify a diverse suite of olfactory receptor genes and an opsin repertoire with sensitivity in the ultraviolet range, show that the wingless moa phenotype is likely 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 May2026-06-01T17:59:45.329Z2025-04-19T21:18:20.333ZS-EPMC118096493878132310.1126/sciadv.adj6823