Deep Dives in the Wind

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It was a windy day in San Juan, and the waves crashed upon the rocky shore. Above the water, pelicans soared majestically in the strong currents. To my surprise, they were diving into the turbulent waters like it was just another day at the beach, which I guess it was, technically speaking.

It is stunning to watch such a massive bird drop from the sky. The video can’t properly capture the experience. It really felt like watching a small VW Beetle with wings suddenly fall.

They have the prehistoric look about them. One of the earliest known pelican fossils dates to the Oligocene epoch (30 million years ago). That fossil showed that their feeding apparatus was already formed 30 million years ago and is similar to the one they have today (with the pouch). This is an example of evolutionary stasis, according to the linked article. The fossil of an extinct genus from the late Eocene epoch (36 millions years ago) was also found in Egypt, and it also showed the distinct feeding mechanism of pelicans today. It looks like evolution decided that this biostructural model was stable. So why mess with a good thing?

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