Re: Archaeopteryx and Flight

[@lepomis.psych.upenn.edu:murphy!acmcr!vr@uunet.uu.net (Vicki Rosenzweig)]

One point that seems to be overlooked in this is that, on small
islands, flight can be a disadvantage--flying birds can be blown
out to sea in a storm, and either be unable to make it to land
at all, or find themselves on another island with no other birds
of their species. Either way, flight can thus be selected against,
not merely as unnecessary in the absence of terrestrial predators,
but as actively removing flyers from the breeding population.
(I don't think this is a major point, but it is the only case I'm
aware of where a bird is better off not flying.)

Vicki Rosenzweig
vr%acmcr.uucp@murphy.com
New York, NY