logo
Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

Bird That Was Once Thought To Be Extinct Surprisingly Comes Back Into Existence

by Navkiran

The Aldabra Rail was once thought to be extinct, but there have been recent sightings of the bird in the Indian Ocean region. These sightings are significant because the comeback of this presumably extinct and seemingly resurrected bird has baffled biologists.

The Aldabra rail was one of the species that dwelled in the Aldabra atoll of the Indian Ocean. But around 136,000 years ago, the atoll was inundated in a major flood, the species became extinct soon after.

This new information provides experts with valuable insight into the Aldabra white-throated railbird and its habitat, which could help inform conservation efforts in the future. The researchers also hope to put pieces together like a biological puzzle and uncover the mystery behind this unique re-occurrence.

But it is not just the Aldabra rail that found itself extinct. Several more birds like the Dodo, Passenger pigeon, Great auk can now be seen only in historical archives.

Generally, there are two prominent reasons for bird extinction: natural disaster or human interference. Natural factors include climate change which further results in sea-level rise, forest fires, the spread of diseases, etc.

Man-made factors include habitat destruction due to increased human population, logging, agriculture, pollution, etc. However, let’s see what brought back these birds from extinction.

The extinct Aldabra throated railbird

Around 100,000 years ago, the Aldabra white-throated railbird disappeared and was declared to be extinct because of the rising sea levels. However, this flightless, presumably extinct bird has mysteriously reappeared, seemingly resurrected, and biologists are baffled.

According to research published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, this reincarnated bird is the outcome of a process known as 'iterative evolution.' This is the process by which old genes, in this example, the genes of an extinct bird, reappear at a later point in time.

The extinct Aldabra throated railbird Wikimedia Commons

Reappears after being announced as extinct.

This means that while a bird's ancestors may have vanished from the face of the world, the bird's DNA still exists — and in the appropriate circumstances, there is nothing to prevent those genes from replicating in present times. This denotes that during the course of a species' existence, identical species can produce a large number of marginally developed offshoots.

But don't get your hopes up that dinosaurs and woolly mammoths will appear next. These scientific phenomena can only be found in animals that are nearly identical to their forebears.

While repeated evolution has previously been observed in species such as turtles, it has never been observed in birds.

Reappears after being announced as extinct. Screenshot via YouTube

Watch the video and enjoy a look at the so called extinct bird.

"We are aware of no other case in the rails, or of birds in general, that exhibits this occurrence so well," paleobiologist David Martill said in a release. "Fossil evidence demonstrating the influence of shifting sea levels on extinction and recolonization events is only known on the Aldabra, which has the earliest palaeontological record of any oceanic island within the Indian Ocean region."

2020 has already proven to be an intriguing and perplexing year. It appears that we will now have to deal with re-materializing birds as well.

According to this study, a previously extinct bird species has re-evolved into existence. Around 136,000 years ago, the Aldabra rail became extinct, and it has now reclaimed its home island.

Because of the unusual occurrence, organisms can repeatedly re-emerge, despite previous incarnations becoming extinct. Share this interesting story about this species of bird that can magically pop back into existence after being announced as extinct.

Share this article:

Facebook icon Pinterest icon Tumblr icon Link icon Twitter icon

Related Articles

Heartless Owner Tied Puppy To Pole And Left Her To Die But Her Fate Turned And Good People Saved Her

Heartless Owner Tied Puppy To Pole And Left Her To Die But Her Fate Turned And Good People Saved Her

Woman Ditched Two Boxes In Man's Yard, He Found 40 Eyes Begging Him To Save Them

Woman Ditched Two Boxes In Man's Yard, He Found 40 Eyes Begging Him To Save Them

How Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Nursed A Near-Dead Kitten Back To Health And Into Their Hearts

How Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Nursed A Near-Dead Kitten Back To Health And Into Their Hearts

Brave Officers Take Heroic Dive Into Vile, Muck-Ridden Sewage Drain To Retrieve Adorable Puppy Trapped Inside

Brave Officers Take Heroic Dive Into Vile, Muck-Ridden Sewage Drain To Retrieve Adorable Puppy Trapped Inside

Watch As Heroic Firefighters Race Against Time To Save Trapped Kitten Moments Before Raging Storm Strikes

Watch As Heroic Firefighters Race Against Time To Save Trapped Kitten Moments Before Raging Storm Strikes

People Furious After Watching Footage Of Dog Abandoned During Hurricane Milton

People Furious After Watching Footage Of Dog Abandoned During Hurricane Milton

Spooky Security Footage From The Wild Leads To Unbelievable Reunion With Missing Feline

Spooky Security Footage From The Wild Leads To Unbelievable Reunion With Missing Feline

Cyclist Discovers Mysterious 'Pink Blob' On The Roadside, Turns Out To Be A Precious Life In Distress

Cyclist Discovers Mysterious 'Pink Blob' On The Roadside, Turns Out To Be A Precious Life In Distress

Abandoned ‘Stone-Skinned’ Pup Undergoes The Most Miraculous Transformation, Thanks To Kind Stranger

Abandoned ‘Stone-Skinned’ Pup Undergoes The Most Miraculous Transformation, Thanks To Kind Stranger

Here's How Nikola Tesla's Childhood Cat Started His Fascination With Electricity

Here's How Nikola Tesla's Childhood Cat Started His Fascination With Electricity

How First-Time Cat Dad’s Joyful Adoption Healed Rescuer’s Broken Spirit

How First-Time Cat Dad’s Joyful Adoption Healed Rescuer’s Broken Spirit

Beloved Grand Teton Icon Meets Heartbreaking Fate In Highway Collision

Beloved Grand Teton Icon Meets Heartbreaking Fate In Highway Collision

Pilot Adopts Stray Cat Mid-Flight During Hurricane Evacuation

Pilot Adopts Stray Cat Mid-Flight During Hurricane Evacuation

He Was 'Worst Dog Ever' With Three Failed Adoption Attempts Until Right Owner Turned Him Into Local Legend

He Was 'Worst Dog Ever' With Three Failed Adoption Attempts Until Right Owner Turned Him Into Local Legend

Cat’s Heartbreaking Story Of Survival And The Foster Family Who Restored Her Trust In Humanity

Cat’s Heartbreaking Story Of Survival And The Foster Family Who Restored Her Trust In Humanity

Courageous Pup Gets Named American Humane’s 2024 Hero Dog For Rescue Of 7-Year-Old Kidnapping Victim

Courageous Pup Gets Named American Humane’s 2024 Hero Dog For Rescue Of 7-Year-Old Kidnapping Victim

8 Five-Week Old Puppies Were Miraculously Rescued From Under A Burning Car By California’s Finest Firefighters

8 Five-Week Old Puppies Were Miraculously Rescued From Under A Burning Car By California’s Finest Firefighters

Furry Fugitives Ground Plane As Crew Races To Capture  130 Escapees

Furry Fugitives Ground Plane As Crew Races To Capture 130 Escapees

Influencer Under Fire For Taking Baby Wombat From Its Mother In Australia

Influencer Under Fire For Taking Baby Wombat From Its Mother In Australia

Categories

Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

Business

About Us Advertise Contact Us

Legal

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy DMCA Removal
 Logo
About Us Privacy DMCA Removal Contact Us Terms Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

© 2025 - All Rights Reserved

 logo

Sign In to

facebook icon Sign in with facebook
facebook icon Sign in with google

Or sign in with email

Need an account? Sign Up

Forgot Password?

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service

 logo

Sign Up to

Already have an account? Sign In

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service

Edit profile

User Photo