ANIMALS
10 Weird Cases of Incredible Animal Evolution
RON HARLAN
MARCH 25, 2013
Evolutionary adaptation has been documented in shaping life forms into distinct,
recognizable groups with defining traits that we take for granted. However, there are some
creatures that have evolved in such such bizarre ways, they could be excommunicated
from their parent groups, such as the ocean going iguana, while unrelated species can no
longer be distinguished due to convergence. We will now learn about cases including
herbivorous hawks, meat eating parrots and a tiny giraffe….
10 Killer Mountain Parrot
Parrots are known as colorful, friendly tropical birds with a
penchant for tree nuts, fruit and “crackers”. Many are
favored as pets, and are stereotyped as the companions of
pirates. However, the New Zealand mountain parrot known
as a Kea (Nestor notabilis), takes rebellion against the
norm to the extreme. Weighing over 2 pounds with a 4 foot
wingspan, Kea are carnivorous parrots with a penchant for
eating birds, small mammals and occasionally, sheep. Kea
have been filmed ripping sheep open at night and feeding
on the fat and mutton, often with fatal results. Kea are also
capable of removing headlights from parked cars, and shattering windows.
Unlike any other parrot, Kea live in mountain passes, and may be seen in the snow. The harsh
environment has made them the most intelligent parrot species and possibly the smartest bird on the
planet. Kea soar like hawks when searching for their prey, and vocalize like a hawk, not a parrot. The
birds have become endangered due to human interference.
9 Vegetarian Eagle
In an opposite turn of events from the Kea, the Palm Nut
Vulture or “Vulturine Fish Eagle” is an African relative of the
Golden Eagle, Buzzard and Goshawk that ferociously
attacks Oil Palm trees instead of preying on animals. This
raptor has a specially adapted digestive system, but looks
and acts just like most other eagles in every way. The
massive bill cracks open the nuts, and extracts the fatty
insides, which provide a viable substitute for the animal’s
typical meat diet. This bird shows how fluid genetic
adaptation is, and how quickly an animal can deviate from the norm.
8 Tale of Two Grasslands
Songbirds are a highly diverse group that both
puzzle scientists, and provide incredible
insights into the mysteries of evolution.
Convergent evolution occurs when two
unrelated species develop the same
appearance due to environmental conditions.
In the grasslands of North America, the
Western Meadowlark has evolved from
blackbirds, which still exist today as black, tree
dwelling birds. A variety of very specific
plumage, shape and feeding traits
distinguish this bird. However, in Western
Africa, grasslands are inhabited by an unrelated bird known as the Yellow-bellied Longclaw, which is
a descendant of a very different group of birds, the old world pipits, which are small brown songbirds
of open country. TheYellow-bellied Longclaw (pictured) and Western Meadowlark both look nothing
like their respective ancestors.
On two continents, two birds have drastically departed from the form, habits and color of their closest
relatives while becoming nearly identical to each other. This is one of the clearest examples of
evolution.
7 Swift and Swallow
For many years, observers have looked
skyward and seen small, sickle winged birds
shooting past overhead. The birds looked
about the same in size and shape, except
certain types of “swallow” held their wings
more stiffly, and could climb into the clouds
at a faster rate. It turned out that swallows,
which were related to related to robins,
chickadees and sparrows, were one distinct
group, while the birds with stiff wings were
actually apparently identical but genetically a
world apart, with subtle physical differences.
The “Swifts” as they were called are actually
closely related to hummingbirds and Whippoor wills, and may are not too distantly
related to owls. Appearances can be deceiving…
6 Marsupial Mole
Australia’s mammals are dominated by the marsupial subclass, which are unrelated to other mammal groups, and
often possess distinctive body forms. However, the
Marsupials have been noted for coming up with “answers”
to mammals that other groups contain. Where carnivores
evolved into the lion, the marsupial group produced a now
extinct marsupial version of the unrelated lion. In modern
times, there is a marsupial mole, which is unrelated to the
familiar but mysterious moles of Europe, Asia & North
America. The strange, sightless marsupial looks and acts
just like a mole in its habitat, but is not in any way related.
5 Pill Animals
If you turn over a brick in a garden, you are likely to see a range of
small gray creatures with segmented bodies and long antennae.
Scores of legs extend from the abdomen. They may look the same,
but in fact “pill bugs” can be two entirely different animals, as
unrelated as dogs and dogfish. The Pill Bug is a land going
crustacean, closely related to shrimp and a cousin of the crabs and
lobsters. Separately, the Pill Millipede has evolved the identical form
without having any genetic relationship. This animal is genetically a
millipede, the rest of which are long, centipede-like forest creatures
with endless legs.
4 Aye-Aye
Aye-Ayes look like Gollum, but they are not from the Lord of the Rings’
Middle Earth. They are from a region of Earth known as Madagascar, a
place where some of the strangest creatures have evolved. Aye-Aye are
primates, and are related to humans, chimpanzees and monkeys, but are
only 1 foot tall. Like Chimpanzees, Aye-Aye feed on termites and woodboring insects. However, where chimpanzees use a stick to reach the
insects, the Aye-Aye’s middle finger has evolved to an incredible length, allowing it to reach for the
bugs, unassisted by tools. Of course, such a long extending middle finger might be considered rude
by humans…
3 Sea Lizard
Evolution is often seen as a series of steps
forward, from primitive to advanced, or from
ocean to land. In the Devonian era, Earth was
dominated by a diversity of marine reptiles, all of
which disappeared. In more recent ages of the
Earth, lizards of all shapes and sizes walk
across the land. One species of lizard, however
has returned to the ocean. The Marine Iguana is
a giant, pink colored lizard that swims under the
waves of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. It is
a herbivore just like its terrestrial cousin, the Green Iguana, and feeds on seaweeds. It can
be observed hauled out on ocean islets among the salt spray, where it may be mistaken
for a seal.
2 Bird With Hands
It is said a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but
of the 10,000 species of birds on earth, there is one
species with its own hands. The Hoatzin is a bizarre,
primitive relative of the Cuckoo bird native to South
American Rain forests, with a strange reptilian relic.
When the chicks hatch, it quickly becomes apparent
that these birds have retained incredibly primitive traits
stemming back to birds hypothesized therapod dinosaur
origins. Two hands, armed with sharp claws extend
from the bird’s wing joints, and are used to climb the
trees to safety. Interestingly, the hoatzin is also the only
ruminant bird, and has evolved the same dieting system
as cattle, feeding upon fermenting green plant material
in a second stomach.
1
False Antelope
North America’s prairies are inhabited by bouncing, variegated animals known as
Pronghorn Antelopes. However, antelopes are an entirely old world group, native to Africa
and Asia, and closely related to goats. The Pronghorn Antelope, however, is actually the
only living member of the extinct family caprilladae, which forms the superfamily giraffidae,
together with the African Giraffe and Okapi. North America’s antelope is thus not an
antelope, but a living fossil in the Giraffe family that has simply taken on the form of an
antelope through strong natural selection. What other shocking surprises await those who
uncover nature’s bizarre anomalies?
http://listverse.com/2013/03/25/10-weird-cases-of-incredible-animal-evolution/