Evolution of ostriches
Originally, ostriches had necks and legs that weren’t so long—more like those of chickens and ducks. So how did they become the way they are now?
A long time ago, Mr. and Mrs. Ostrich were deeply in love and seldom separated. In the mornings, they would go out together to exercise and look for food. At noon, they would bury themselves in the sand, leaving only their eyes exposed, which made for a cool nap. In the afternoon, they would bathe in the hot sand, and in the evenings, they would share the day’s findings, eating their fill before resting.
Life was wonderful like this, but the nearby food sources became scarcer. Every day, they had to travel farther than the day before to find food. Mr. Ostrich decided to go out and search for food, but it was going to be a long journey, and he didn’t want Mrs. Ostrich to endure such hardship. “You stay home and wait for me. I’ll bring back plenty of food, and then we can have ostrich babies!” Mr. Ostrich said to Mrs. Ostrich before setting off without looking back.
Mrs. Ostrich started living alone: in the mornings, she would still go out to exercise and look for food, though it was sometimes hard to find; at noon, she would still bury herself in the sand, with her eyes fixed on the distance; in the afternoon, she would still bathe in the sand, though without Mr. Ostrich’s help; in the evenings, she would eat a little something and rest, though without Mr. Ostrich to chat about the day’s events.
It wasn’t clear how much time passed, but Mrs. Ostrich stopped exercising, stopped napping, and stopped bathing. She spent all day thinking about Mr. Ostrich. From morning till noon, and from afternoon till evening, Mrs. Ostrich kept her eyes on the horizon, stretching her neck, hoping to see Mr. Ostrich return.
Finally, one day, a figure appeared in the distance, carrying a large bundle and taking big strides forward. Closer, closer still, Mrs. Ostrich recognized that it was Mr. Ostrich. Oh my, his legs had become so long that he could cover a great distance with each step. His back was bulging, loaded with a big bundle of food. “Oh, dear, did your legs get longer because you walked so much?” Mrs. Ostrich said, touching Mr. Ostrich’s legs, moved.
Mr. Ostrich put down his bundle and smiled, saying, “You’ve stretched your neck every day looking for me, and now it’s longer too. It looks even more beautiful!” Only then did Mrs. Ostrich realize her own transformation. They both laughed.
From then on, they resumed their morning exercise, noon naps under the sand, afternoon sand baths, and evening feasts, with Mrs. Ostrich listening to Mr. Ostrich recount his adventures on the road, stories she’d heard many times but never grew tired of. Eventually, their ostrich babies were born. Can you guess what they looked like? They had their mother’s long neck, their father’s long legs, and strong backs. It was truly wonderful!
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
