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From: bob@islenet.UUCP (Bob Cunningham)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Catastrophic Evolution/ more on large animals and extinction
Message-ID: <1466@islenet.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 11-Aug-85 18:20:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: islenet.1466
Posted: Sun Aug 11 18:20:38 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 06:17:02 EDT
References: <367@imsvax.UUCP>
Organization: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics
Lines: 27

Apropos of the substance of the original article, the various species of
unique flightless birds in the Hawaiian islands appear to have become
extinct coincidentally with the original Polynesian settlers---somewhere
over 600 years ago.  Extensive collections of their bones have been found
in caves along with remnants of campfires dating back to those original
settlers.

The only exception seems to have been two species of rather small and
obscure flightless rails ... both species passing away apparently about a
century ago due to extensive (human-induced) changes in their native
habitats.

All the various species of flightless birds apparently were filling what
would otherwise be an empty niche:  ground-based forest predators.
Until introduced by man, the islands had no native ground mammals nor
reptiles.  Indeed, the only mammal present was a unique species of
fruit-eating bat.

Incidentally, the Hawaiian islands currently have the distinction of having
more endangered species of plants and animals of any place in the world ...
not primarily because they're directly killed by humans, but because the
native ecosystems have been extensively changed by humans and various
introduced animals (rats, sheep, cattle, mongoose, etc.).
-- 
Bob Cunningham  {dual|vortex|ihnp4}!islenet!bob
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Computing Facilities
Honolulu, Hawaii