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how well would ratites fare?
Topic Started: Jan 13 2017, 10:10 AM (1,999 Views)
deathmetalfan6 Jan 13 2017, 10:10 AM Post #1
Zygote
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if you don't know what ratites are they are the large flightless birds. ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, kiwis, and the extinct moas and elephant birds. when i first saw the future is wild i was very fascinated by the carakillers, the evolved form of the caracara. i think its really cool that a bird that once flew lost its wings and became a ground hunter. ratites have kinda gone the same path in real life, they had ancestors that flew but over time they became built for running and lost their ability to fly. the more endangered ratites like cassowaries probably won't do so hot but i can easily imagine the more common ratites like emus and rheas giving up their omnivorous diets and taking on the role of top predators if large mammal predators die out over time because they are very strong and fast birds. thats just my idea, what do you guys think?
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IIGSY Jul 28 2017, 08:43 PM Post #46
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A huntsman spider that wastes time on the internet because it has nothing better to do
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Ratites are probably going to do well in the future, as has been stated. But damn, that's a lot of emus.

Let's see how australian fauna fares when it collides with asia.
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Nematozoic: After a mass extinction of ultimate proportions, a single species of nematode is the only surviving animal.
Tri-devonian: A devonian like ecosystem with holocene species on three different continents.

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Chuditch Jul 28 2017, 09:56 PM Post #47
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Dasyurid
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Insect Illuminati Get Shrekt
Jul 28 2017, 08:43 PM
Ratites are probably going to do well in the future, as has been stated. But damn, that's a lot of emus.

Let's see how australian fauna fares when it collides with asia.
I'm going to cover this fairly heavily in my The Ark Continues project (starting that when I have time), as to me it is an important thing to get right. Just saying, the Great American Interchange is a whole different topic. Don't use it as a basis for assumptions on how the interchange would play out. Also, it won't be bias, there will be winners and losers on both sides. None is superior. And there will be arthropods in that project, in case you were going to ask.

Why am I even talking about this here though? Let's get back to ratites.
Van Diemen's Land | Wollunqua | Coming soon...
My wildlife YouTube channel
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Rodlox Jul 28 2017, 11:40 PM Post #48
Superhuman
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The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 08:04 PM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 07:45 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
I don't see it as outrageous. My point is that they are mainly fruit eaters, and I doubt their claw would become sickle shaped. That's just what I think. Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur. Cassowaries have always been pretty much the same, and although I know they could change in the future, I think they would still have a similar niche to their modern relatives. If all large ground predators become extinct in Australia, a antechinus or some other 'marsupial mouse' (they are really tiny killers in disguise) would take over pretty quickly. Those things are pretty damn adaptable.
no reason why predatory cassowaries can't coexist alongside mega-giant-antechinuses the size of a fat cat.
Yes, but there would probably be other competitors like land-living crocodiles, carnivores like foxes, cats and dingoes, giant goannas, even maybe a diprotodont might develop carnivorous habits (they have in the past). It just doesn't seem likely to me. Plus, why are you all just talking about the cassowary? The emu is just as, if not more likely to become carnivorous. It's more adaptable. The reason why I don't like the velociraptor cassowary is because it's just too predicable and kind of forced.

Yes, carnivorous casuariiformes are a possibility, but aren't likely. That's all I'm saying.
what I said about the cassowary can apply to the emu...and probably the bowerbird if you want. :)

there were terrestrial crocs eating plants and terrestrial crocs eating meat when those theropods were expanding their diets, as well as small predatory (and herbivorous) mammals and reptiles.
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
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Chuditch Jul 29 2017, 01:02 AM Post #49
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Dasyurid
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Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 11:40 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 08:04 PM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 07:45 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
I don't see it as outrageous. My point is that they are mainly fruit eaters, and I doubt their claw would become sickle shaped. That's just what I think. Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur. Cassowaries have always been pretty much the same, and although I know they could change in the future, I think they would still have a similar niche to their modern relatives. If all large ground predators become extinct in Australia, a antechinus or some other 'marsupial mouse' (they are really tiny killers in disguise) would take over pretty quickly. Those things are pretty damn adaptable.
no reason why predatory cassowaries can't coexist alongside mega-giant-antechinuses the size of a fat cat.
Yes, but there would probably be other competitors like land-living crocodiles, carnivores like foxes, cats and dingoes, giant goannas, even maybe a diprotodont might develop carnivorous habits (they have in the past). It just doesn't seem likely to me. Plus, why are you all just talking about the cassowary? The emu is just as, if not more likely to become carnivorous. It's more adaptable. The reason why I don't like the velociraptor cassowary is because it's just too predicable and kind of forced.

Yes, carnivorous casuariiformes are a possibility, but aren't likely. That's all I'm saying.
what I said about the cassowary can apply to the emu...and probably the bowerbird if you want. :)

there were terrestrial crocs eating plants and terrestrial crocs eating meat when those theropods were expanding their diets, as well as small predatory (and herbivorous) mammals and reptiles.
Carnivorous bowerbirds... Forgive me while I steal that concept...
Tooth-billed Bowerbird would make an interesting predator, can't find any images of their 'teeth' close up though.
Posted Image

P.S totally not a hawkbower, no, completely different of course.

I'm getting way off topic now.
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My wildlife YouTube channel
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Tartarus Jul 29 2017, 07:21 PM Post #50
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Prime Specimen
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The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur.
I never said they had to become neo-dromaeosaurs. You could potentially still have a carnivorous future cassowary that is nothing like the dromaeosaurs beyond the fact that it is, like them, a predator.
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Chuditch Jul 30 2017, 04:46 AM Post #51
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Dasyurid
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Tartarus
Jul 29 2017, 07:21 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur.
I never said they had to become neo-dromaeosaurs. You could potentially still have a carnivorous future cassowary that is nothing like the dromaeosaurs beyond the fact that it is, like them, a predator.
Yep, definitely. It's just as likely as duikers, potoroos, rats and other omnivorous animals to become a predator.
Van Diemen's Land | Wollunqua | Coming soon...
My wildlife YouTube channel
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kusanagi Jul 30 2017, 06:29 AM Post #52
Adolescent
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The Gondwanian
Jul 29 2017, 01:02 AM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 11:40 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 08:04 PM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 07:45 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
I don't see it as outrageous. My point is that they are mainly fruit eaters, and I doubt their claw would become sickle shaped. That's just what I think. Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur. Cassowaries have always been pretty much the same, and although I know they could change in the future, I think they would still have a similar niche to their modern relatives. If all large ground predators become extinct in Australia, a antechinus or some other 'marsupial mouse' (they are really tiny killers in disguise) would take over pretty quickly. Those things are pretty damn adaptable.
no reason why predatory cassowaries can't coexist alongside mega-giant-antechinuses the size of a fat cat.
Yes, but there would probably be other competitors like land-living crocodiles, carnivores like foxes, cats and dingoes, giant goannas, even maybe a diprotodont might develop carnivorous habits (they have in the past). It just doesn't seem likely to me. Plus, why are you all just talking about the cassowary? The emu is just as, if not more likely to become carnivorous. It's more adaptable. The reason why I don't like the velociraptor cassowary is because it's just too predicable and kind of forced.

Yes, carnivorous casuariiformes are a possibility, but aren't likely. That's all I'm saying.
what I said about the cassowary can apply to the emu...and probably the bowerbird if you want. :)

there were terrestrial crocs eating plants and terrestrial crocs eating meat when those theropods were expanding their diets, as well as small predatory (and herbivorous) mammals and reptiles.
Carnivorous bowerbirds... Forgive me while I steal that concept...
Tooth-billed Bowerbird would make an interesting predator, can't find any images of their 'teeth' close up though.
Posted Image

P.S totally not a hawkbower, no, completely different of course.

I'm getting way off topic now.
Pseudoteeth have different properties than teeth and might not work as efficiently in the same way. Besides only moa nalos and pelagornids had true pseudoteeth structures. On the other hand look at falcons.
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Rodlox Jul 30 2017, 06:14 PM Post #53
Superhuman
* * * * * * * * *
kusanagi
Jul 30 2017, 06:29 AM
The Gondwanian
Jul 29 2017, 01:02 AM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 11:40 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 08:04 PM
Rodlox
Jul 28 2017, 07:45 PM
The Gondwanian
Jul 28 2017, 07:18 PM
I don't see it as outrageous. My point is that they are mainly fruit eaters, and I doubt their claw would become sickle shaped. That's just what I think. Just because they have a stabbing claw, doesn't mean you should assume they are on the path to being a neo-dromaeosaur. Cassowaries have always been pretty much the same, and although I know they could change in the future, I think they would still have a similar niche to their modern relatives. If all large ground predators become extinct in Australia, a antechinus or some other 'marsupial mouse' (they are really tiny killers in disguise) would take over pretty quickly. Those things are pretty damn adaptable.
no reason why predatory cassowaries can't coexist alongside mega-giant-antechinuses the size of a fat cat.
Yes, but there would probably be other competitors like land-living crocodiles, carnivores like foxes, cats and dingoes, giant goannas, even maybe a diprotodont might develop carnivorous habits (they have in the past). It just doesn't seem likely to me. Plus, why are you all just talking about the cassowary? The emu is just as, if not more likely to become carnivorous. It's more adaptable. The reason why I don't like the velociraptor cassowary is because it's just too predicable and kind of forced.

Yes, carnivorous casuariiformes are a possibility, but aren't likely. That's all I'm saying.
what I said about the cassowary can apply to the emu...and probably the bowerbird if you want. :)

there were terrestrial crocs eating plants and terrestrial crocs eating meat when those theropods were expanding their diets, as well as small predatory (and herbivorous) mammals and reptiles.
Carnivorous bowerbirds... Forgive me while I steal that concept...
Tooth-billed Bowerbird would make an interesting predator, can't find any images of their 'teeth' close up though.
Posted Image

P.S totally not a hawkbower, no, completely different of course.

I'm getting way off topic now.
Pseudoteeth have different properties than teeth and might not work as efficiently in the same way. Besides only moa nalos and pelagornids had true pseudoteeth structures. On the other hand look at falcons.
who says it has to work efficiently...ground sloth teeth cobbled together a solution, and it happened before they had the advantage of size
.---------------------------------------------.
Parts of the Cluster Worlds:
"Marsupialless Australia" (what-if) & "Out on a Branch" (future evolution) & "The Earth under a still sun" (WIP)
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kusanagi Jul 30 2017, 06:53 PM Post #54
Adolescent
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No ground sloths primitively inherited erosion-resistant teeth from an armadillo-like ancestor. Its not a second rate design its efficient especially if you eat gritty plant parts as some grazing sloths and armadillos did.

Odontoid processes as seen in some anurans are good for gripping and piercing soft tissue but maybe not much else. I was wondering if platypus tooth plates might evolve in a bird but the function is different from bony pseudoteeth.
Edited by kusanagi, Jul 30 2017, 06:56 PM.
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