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Re: AAT reply from Elaine Morgan
Pat Dooley (patdooley@aol.com)
8 Jan 1995 16:35:55 -0500
> For instance, the ecological niche for most birds and bats is
>the same; yet, the two groups of animals converged only _slightly_. They
>have an airfoil in common. How they _achieved_ the airfoil is vastly
>different, and the airfoil structures are not homologous between the two
>taxa.
They don't actually occupy the same niche. Bats are nocturnal. Birds
aren't (usually). However, one cave dwelling species of birds has evolved
echo-location. A remarkable example of convergence, n'est ce pas?
I had read there was an ongoing debate in zoological circles about
whether flying foxes belonged in the bat family or some off-shoot of
primitive primates. If the latter is true, then the convergence is
remarkable.
Pat D
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