absolutejamer asked:
Why do kiwis have such massive fucking eggs “it’s because they are related to ostriches and-“ yeah ok but like why didn’t they evolve smaller eggs if I was in charge I would do that shit pronto. Thoughts?
crabussy answered:
their big eggs are actually that size for a similar reason to human babies having massive heads!! being bigger at birth can be important.
kiwi are trying SO HARD to become mammals. fur-like feathers, whisker-like feathers, little beady eyes, nocturnal, great sense of smell…. that’s basically a mammal!! they’re well suited for life on the forest floor.
their big eggs work alongside these adaptations to give them a leg up in the bird world. their young hatch already feathered! they’re precocial, which means they’re born with the ability to open their eyes and move around. like foals.
big egg = more powerful offspring from the get-go. babies don’t need to spend precious time vulnerable while they develop on the ground when they’ve already done all that in the egg!
(unfortunately, with the introduction of mammals to aotearoa, these adaptations are a little less useful…)
Important addition: baby kiwi come out of the egg looking like they've come out of a shower with a hangover
They look like one of the downsides of emerging from an egg fully formed is how aware you are off just having come out on egg.
First minute alive, already dealing with some fucking experience.
