Post by Fractal on Nov 14, 2011 19:38:53 GMT
I really, really do wish this is true!
Some of you may well be familiar with the story of the Great Auk or Garefowl which was related to familiar birds (Auks) such as the Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot. It was much larger however (about the size of a goose) and also flightless (though the small wings had become powerful flippers for swimming). Millions once existed in the North Atlantic but from the 13th century onwards, they were seen as easy food by sailors whilst breeding on land. In the water of course they were agile and supremely fast!
The last few breeding individuals were clubbed to death and their eggs (also formerly seen as food of course) for their high price and rarity for "collectors" and sadly for scientific study which further exacerbated their demise.
This was the original "Penguin" later applied to the similar looking though quite unrelated birds from the southern hemisphere.
The Great Auk was also a remarkable example of convergent evolution whereby two or more unrelated organisms come to look like each other. Cacti and some Euphorbia's would be a similar example in plants.
Anyway, here is the photo taken recently by a National Trust warden at Inner Farne. The smaller Guillemot's and a Kittiwake are also in the shot behind the Great Auk.
I'm going to look into this further and try and contact some experts to see if they either dismiss it or otherwise.
Some of you may well be familiar with the story of the Great Auk or Garefowl which was related to familiar birds (Auks) such as the Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot. It was much larger however (about the size of a goose) and also flightless (though the small wings had become powerful flippers for swimming). Millions once existed in the North Atlantic but from the 13th century onwards, they were seen as easy food by sailors whilst breeding on land. In the water of course they were agile and supremely fast!
The last few breeding individuals were clubbed to death and their eggs (also formerly seen as food of course) for their high price and rarity for "collectors" and sadly for scientific study which further exacerbated their demise.
This was the original "Penguin" later applied to the similar looking though quite unrelated birds from the southern hemisphere.
The Great Auk was also a remarkable example of convergent evolution whereby two or more unrelated organisms come to look like each other. Cacti and some Euphorbia's would be a similar example in plants.
Anyway, here is the photo taken recently by a National Trust warden at Inner Farne. The smaller Guillemot's and a Kittiwake are also in the shot behind the Great Auk.
I'm going to look into this further and try and contact some experts to see if they either dismiss it or otherwise.
