Ostriches gave up flying when dinosaurs died out

Telegraph ^ | 1/23/10

[LibWhacker]

Emus and ostriches became fat, flightless birds after dinosaurs died out and were no longer around to chase them, scientists believe.

An abundance of food and lack of predators following the mass extinction 65 million years saw previously flighted birds put on so much weight that they had to walk instead, according to research by Australian National University.

A molecular dating study revealed that the African ostrich, Australasian emu, South American rhea and New Zealand moa became flightless independently following the disappearance of dinosaurs.

[ClearCase_guy]

I found some old bones.

Here, let me tell you all about the 7632 assumptions, guesses and conjectures which I've come up with so far ...

[wolfcreek]

Soooo, whatever killed the dinosaurs DIDN’T kill emus and ostriches?

[exnavy]

LOL Imagine the BBQ one could have with either of those birds!

[Little Bill]

Ping

[null and void]

Not much gets past you.

[Publius]

I’ve eaten ostrich. It looks and tastes like beef, but with less fat.

[wolfcreek]

Nope. But, now that I think about it, they can run really fast.

[dog breath]

If I was large flightless bird that looked like lunch, I would learn to run really fast also.

[SeeSharp]

Yeah, it’s a pretty dry meat. Zero cholesterol though.

[knarf]

There ain't nuthin' neater'n flyin' !!

So, those deumsticks developed for what?

" Hey ralph, I 'eah theahse a new species on the mahkit ... man. We'd bettah d'velope some gams, mite ... chise'em down an'at"

[Secret Agent Man]

Yes, they got tired of the TSA scanners and decided to take the bus.

(I gave this topic the entire respect it deserved.)

[BIGLOOK]

Huh? I always liked that chick with the long legs but she was aloof. Things could've worked out differently.

Here I was minding my own business, not bothering to travel anymore and putting on pounds when suddenly there was competition for food. Running as fast as I could, it dawned on me.....I was food!

[bert]

I think you might have been a dinosaur, at least the missing link.

[BIGLOOK]

You’re probably right.

[Iscool]

That’s right...And then fish which roamed the land developed fins, tails and gills so they could evade the now land roaming emus...

[6SJ7]

Emus and ostriches became fat, flightless birds after dinosaurs died out and were no longer around to chase them, scientists believe.

I'm guessing the dinosaurs ran out of barbecue sauce. That's when ostriches felt safe to start walking around.

[exnavy]

I’ve eaten it as well, very tastey!!

[Daffynition]

The woolly mammoths did it. Case closed.

[count-your-change]

If a big asteroid hit the earth sending firestorms and destruction of vegetation around the globe, what happened to the birds?