Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site islenet.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!dual!islenet!bob 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