Re: RATITES AND BROODING

[John Bois <jbois@umd5.umd.edu>]

On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Ronald Orenstein wrote:

> 
> I am still curious to hear why this is so when all other ratites (tinamous
> excepted) have greatly reduced wings unsuitable for brooding.

One possibility might be that the enlarged area available for brooding--in
ostriches this excess brooding area allows for a surplus of eggs to be
placed in the major hen's nest--made feather-brooding unneeccessary.
Small birds may indeed need extra insulation that large ratites did not.