[Taxacom] Poor flying hoatzins dispersed (on flotsam) fromAfrica to S. America?

[John Grehan]

Yeah, I remember Hedges was big on this sort of thing. For him it was
the foundation of biogeography in the Caribbean. He ridiculed those who
took a different approach.

John Grehan 

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Geoff Read
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 9:06 PM
To: Adam Cotton
Cc: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Poor flying hoatzins dispersed (on flotsam)
fromAfrica to S. America?

"Apart from anything, what did they eat on the journey?"

If you have a look at Fig. 2 in Hedges (2006) it will give you some idea
of the 'fantasy' situation. 600 m2 of vegetation raft would feed a few
folivorous birds.

http://www.4shared.com/get/DFQN8nbE/Hedges_2006_PALEOGEOGRAPHY_OF_.html


Geoff


On Tue, October 11, 2011 11:29 am, Adam Cotton wrote:
> The whole idea of these virtually flightless birds travelling across 
> the (probably at the putative time somewhat narrower) Atlantic, and 
> then having enough genetic variation among the individuals that sat 
> calmly on this flotsam to produce a viable ppulation when they 
> fortuitously arrived on the other side sounds to say the least 
> ludicrous. Apart from anything, what did they eat on the journey?
>
> Although I know very little about birds it seems too far fetched to 
> me, and I would have to agree that the hoatzins surely must have 
> occupied the territory before it split in two.
>
> Adam Cotton.



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