birding-aus

...and it seems this wasn't posted on April 1...

To: <>
Subject: ...and it seems this wasn't posted on April 1...
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Sun, 12 May 2019 12:00:30 +1000

All true. And a nice bit of biological history. Although it was a bit of a stretch to suggest the same species evolved twice. Even if the ancestral species was the same both times, inevitably the end result may well have been similar both times, as both went down the path of being yet another island flightless rail, but on balance of probability, it would not become the same species.

 

Philip

 

From: Birding-Aus [ On Behalf Of Anthea Fleming
Sent: Sunday, 12 May, 2019 10:55 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] ...and it seems this wasn't posted on April 1...

 

Loss of flight in Rail species is quite a common response to being literally isolated on islands.  Colonising rails arrive on islands because they managed to survive being blown off-shore.  If their descendants lose  flying ability, it's advantageous - providing no predators turn up.  Buff-banded Rails on Heron Island can't fly, though they do try when startled.  Their mainland relatives can and do fly quite well.  Incidentally , this phenomenon also happens to insects, and of course many other birds as well.

Anthea Fleming

On 12/05/2019 9:27 AM, Alan Gillanders wrote:

The headline is not supported by the text. The loss of flight on multiple occasions in different locations is as significant as it happening twice in one when one has a bit of time to play with.


"These unique fossils provide irrefutable evidence that a member of the rail family colonised the atoll, most likely from Madagascar, and became flightless independently on each occasion," said lead researcher Dr Julian Hume

Regards,

Alan

On 11/05/2019 2:11 pm, Clive Nealon wrote:



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