Question. How migratory were bison before 1850? In particular, did they migrate during the breeding season? Is this relevant?
Paul Sitz -----Original Message----- From: Minnesota Birds <MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU> On Behalf Of Laura Erickson Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 10:46 AM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: ADV: Re: [mou-net] Cowbirds & bison The point is, I didn't say the parasitism habit EVOLVED for the bison. I just said it was darned beneficial to have it for one particular species that did hang around the bison. NOW we know female cowbirds can be sedentary as long as possible, but this article, not a scientific paper, offers no evidence that they did this pre-settlement. None of us see and understand the whole elephant. Best, Laura On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 11:06 PM Anthony Hertzel <axhert...@gmail.com> wrote: > For a different perspective, I recommend Dennis Paulson’s essay on the > topic. < > https://www.birdnote.org/explore/field-notes/2015/05/cowbird-story-rev > isited > > > > I can also recommend a few more scientific papers that say essentially > the same thing. > > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:49 P.M., Laura Erickson < > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Brood parasitism is indeed found in cowbirds from South America, > > where > the > > genus *Molothrus* probably originated, and so although it follows > > that brood parasitism almost certainly evolved in that genus in the > > first > place > > for reasons other than because they needed to follow a wandering > > mammal, the Brown-headed Cowbird's well-documented dependence on > > nomadic bison certainly made brood parasitism uniquely valuable for > > it, at least until > we > > decimated the bison while introducing cattle. > > > > It's virtually impossible to know the full story about any > > species--we're always finding out more. Learning new information > > doesn't mean we throw > out > > a whole body of old but accurate observations--it means we work out > > how > all > > the pieces of information, including both DNA/evolutionary biology > > and natural history fit together. Otherwise, we're just like the > > blindfolded people each describing one part of the elephant, with > > nobody getting the full picture. > > > > Best, Laura Erickson > > Duluth > > Anthony Hertzel > axhert...@gmail.com > > > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice > social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > -- Laura Erickson Duluth, MN she/her/hers For the love, understanding, and protection of birds www.lauraerickson.com www.patreon.com/lauraerickson You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. —Annie Dillard Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
