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

[John Grehan]

The funny thing is that these sorts of 'far fetched' stories have been
the popular mode for biogeographers from the time of Darwin. 

The recent popularity among molecular clock theorists is only the latest
phase of this way of thinking which avoids the unpleasant necessity of
biogeographers actually knowing some biogeography and actually knowing
the comparative details of distribution (although even vicariance
biogeographers are not immune from that distaste). 

In some ways the dispersalist focus on unique dispersal events is like a
systematist who makes a phylogeny on the basis of a single character
without bothering to look at any other characters.

John Grehan 

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Adam Cotton
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 6:30 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Poor flying hoatzins dispersed (on
flotsam)fromAfrica to S. America?

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.
(not related to the James Cotton on here, although I have a
non-biologist brother of that name) 



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