I've just been watching "David Attenborough in Paradise", his docu
about the Birds of Paradise (and some Bowerbirds from New Guinea) from
a few years ago.
Two points from it:
1. At one point he says something to the effect of "The ancestors of
the Birds of Paradise moved into the area [New Guinea] from Asia in
the north". This is just wrong isn't it?
I assume that the Birds of Paradise evolved in northern Australia/New
Guinea as evidenced by the presence of 4 spp in north-eastern
Australia, and the fact that no spp are found across Wallace's line.
2. At another point he introduces the monogamous McGregor's BoP from
the upland grasslands as evidence of hsi theory that polygamy evolved
in the BoPs as a response to the richness of the environment allowing
females to raised young alone. McGregor's BoP (he maintains), living
in the poorer high altitude areas, represents the ancestral condition.
Didn't I hear that this sp is now, on the basis of DNA, thought to be
an aberrant Honeyeater?
--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
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