Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Kiwis Had an Adam and Eve


Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds that are native to New Zealand. There are five recognised species of kiwi, and with 400 remaining individuals, the rarest is the critically endangered Rowi (Apteryx rowi) of New Zealand’s Okarito forest. The second rarest species is the little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii), which has been spread over several of New Zealand’s smaller islands since becoming extinct on the mainland more than 30 years ago. The species’ steady increase from just five individuals to around 1,600 is considered so impressive, they’re the only species of kiwi not currently classified as threatened, despite how rare they are. But a new study investigating their genetic diversity has revealed that the little spotted kiwi may be in more danger than we thought.

Spotted kiwis did, if not the examples of Homo sapiens which take the name.

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