Hi John,
I'm not sure about the first point but I think you are correct about the
McGregor's, take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_of_Paradise(under "Formerly placed
here")
Tom
On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 8:02 AM, John Leonard <>
wrote:
> 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
> ===============================
> www.birding-aus.org
> birding-aus.blogspot.com
>
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--
********************************
Tom & Marie Tarrant
Kobble Creek, Qld
http://www.aviceda.org
http://wildlife.vodpod.com/
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