DEATH OF MARTHA THE DINOSAUR

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

John Bois wrote...

> Horner made a point against this.  The last passenger pigeon was
> killed (I think) by pneumonia.  Saying they became extinct because 
> of pneumonia may be technically true, but it is a rather shallow 
> statement.

Keep in mind that Martha, the very last of the passenger pigeons (she 
died in Cincinnati Zoo in about 1914), was also quite old, IIRC. She 
had apparently already exceeded the expected lifespan for her species 
(_Ectopistes migratorius_). Thus passenger pigeons became extinct 
because of old age... yeah right:)

"From that time on, he sought in every possible way to see and, where 
possible, to taste the fresh blood of females" - - v. Krafft-Ebing 
(1883)

DARREN NAISH 
PALAEOBIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
School of Earth, Environmental & Physical Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Burnaby Building
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http://www.naish-zoology.com]