Fw: emu invasion resend

[john bois <jbois@verizon.net>]

Sorry that the previous email had some junk from a table that was invisible 
when I sent it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "john bois" <jbois@verizon.net>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 11:26 PM
Subject: Re: emu invasion


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tommy Tyrberg" <tommy.tyrberg@norrkoping.mail.telia.com>
> To: <jbois@verizon.net>; <dinosaur@usc.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 2:46 PM
> Subject: SV: emu invasion
>
>
> > Emus back in Oz survive predation by dingoes and presumably by
> > thylacines, Sarcophilus and Thylacoleo in the past. Coyotes probably
> > aren't that much more efficient predators than dingoes.

True.
And yet...I am still surprised at their success in North America. The
diversity of large flightless birds is so low, one wonders at the success of
the body plan in any location (except predatorless islands, of course--was
it eleven or so species of moa on NZ before man?). And in almost all
continental ratites, success seems dependent upon arid grassy habitat
(presumably its value lies in providing good nesting cover at low predator
density). In that sense, Texas may be perfect...a home away from
home.
But whereas in Australia the emu has little to worry about outside the
dingo, in Texas they have to deal with coyote, red fox, gray fox, raccoon,
weasel, spotted, striped, and hog-nosed skunks, and bobcats; and in recent
history they would also have had wolves. Indeed, any ratite trying to make a
go of it in the Texas of prehistoric times would apply for instant
repatriation back to Oz when it took one look at a dire wolf or an American
lion. However, just as in Australia where emus thrive inside a vast fence
designed to keep the bloody dingoes out, they may make it in Texas thanks to
aggressive predator extirpation.