Like, I'm aware of there being exceptions like Penguins, Ostriches, and Bats. But in general, why is there such a distinct land/air split between mammals and birds? Why don't mammals share the ground with ecosystems of plant- and meat-eating walking birds? Why didn't we get birds that evolved to slither like snakes, or tunnel like rodents? Why isn't it (land+sky) all just mammals, where we'd have parrot- and vulture-like bats that don't lay eggs? If we started the simulation again, might things like this evolve?

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[–] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

when mammals have reached such places, flightless birds have almost immediately experienced population collapse.

New Zealand bird life in a nut shell

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