Sunday, November 4, 2018

The bird who forgot how to fly: Scientists discover world's smallest flightless bird is descended from flying ancestors but gave up because there were no threats to it

The world's smallest flightless bird is stranded on Inaccesible Island because it has forgotten how to fly.

Its flying ancestors ancestors gave up the winged-travel because there was no threat on the deserted South Atlantic island they live on.  
Less than 100 years ago, scientists believed that the bird species once wandered there on land extensions now submerged in water, and therefore gave it the Latin name Atlantisia.
Atlantisia, the world's smallest flightless bird is stranded on Inaccesible Island in the south Atlantic ocean because it has forgotten how to fly
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Atlantisia, the world's smallest flightless bird is stranded on Inaccesible Island in the south Atlantic ocean because it has forgotten how to fly
The bird's flying ancestors ancestors gave up the winged-travel because there was no threat on the deserted island near South Africa and Argentina they inhabit
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The bird's flying ancestors ancestors gave up the winged-travel because there was no threat on the deserted island near South Africa and Argentina they inhabit
The birds, which are listed as vulnerable, have sparked the interest of a research team from Lund University in Sweden.
The four biologists have now shown that the ancestors of the Atlantisia flew to Inaccessible Island from South America about 1.5million years ago.

The birds inhabit Inaccessible Island part of a group of islands which are an equal distance from Argentina and South Africa.
These feature five islands: Tristan, the main island and the only populated one; Nightingale and its two small surrounding islands; and Inaccessible Island.
Four biologists from Lund University in Sweden have now shown that the ancestors of the Atlantisia flew to Inaccessible Island from South America about 1.5million years ago
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Four biologists from Lund University in Sweden have now shown that the ancestors of the Atlantisia flew to Inaccessible Island from South America about 1.5million years ago
The islands make up a cluster of extinct and active volcanoes in the south Atlantic Ocean
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The islands make up a cluster of extinct and active volcanoes in the south Atlantic Ocean
The islands make up a cluster of extinct and active volcanoes in the south Atlantic Ocean. 
Left undisturbed in the south Atlantic Ocean for almost 400 years, Inaccessible Island is somewhat of a mystery to most explorers.
The extinct volcano is fringed with steep cliffs and only a few scatterings of boulder beaches. 
Its inhospitable landscape has warned sailors off landing there since 1873, before which, two German brothers made a livelihood there for two years.
The birds which are listed as vulnerable are thought to have wandered there on land extensions now submerged in water
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The birds which are listed as vulnerable are thought to have wandered there on land extensions now submerged in water
Three fourths of the research team during field work on Inaccessible Island: from left to right Martim Melo, Peter G. Ryan, and Martin Stervander
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Three fourths of the research team during field work on Inaccessible Island: from left to right Martim Melo, Peter G. Ryan, and Martin Stervander
The extinct volcano is fringed with steep cliffs and only a few scatterings of boulder beaches.
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The extinct volcano is fringed with steep cliffs and only a few scatterings of boulder beaches.
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