Bird That Was Once Thought To Be Extinct Surprisingly Comes Back Into Existence
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. However, around 136,000 years ago, the atoll was inundated in a major flood, and 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 piece together this biological puzzle and uncover the mystery behind this unique reoccurrence.
But it is not just the Aldabra Rail that has found itself extinct. Several more birds, like the Dodo, Passenger Pigeon, and Great Auk, can now be seen only in historical archives.
Generally, there are two prominent reasons for bird extinction: natural disasters or human interference. Natural factors include climate change, which further results in sea-level rise, forest fires, the spread of diseases, and more.
Man-made factors include habitat destruction due to increased human population, logging, agriculture, pollution, and others. However, let’s explore what has brought these birds back from extinction.
The extinct Aldabra white-throated railbird
Around 100,000 years ago, the Aldabra white-throated railbird disappeared and was declared extinct due to 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 result of a process known as 'iterative evolution.' This is the process by which old genes—in this case, the genes of an extinct bird—reappear at a later point in time.
Reappears after being announced as extinct.
This means that while a bird's ancestors may have vanished from the face of the Earth, the bird's DNA still exists—and under the appropriate circumstances, there is nothing to prevent those genes from replicating in present times. This indicates 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.
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 Aldabra, which has the earliest paleontological 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 this 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:
