L
LittleSoldier
Guest
Isn’t this thread about Australia? Australia is much further away from Africa than Madagascar. Here’s a list of how far Australia is from some major cities in the world (it was the best I could find in the short time period I have right now):Post 67
Exotic mammals hitched rides on rafts to colonise Madagascar
The animated movie Madagascar - which featured a group of zoo animals hitching a boat ride to the African island - was not so far- fetched after all.
A new study today claims the island’s exotic wild mammals are descended from sea-faring ancestors who sailed from mainland Africa on natural rafts 50 million years ago.
Scientists say the prevailing currents at the time would have made the 300 mile trip not only possible, but relatively fast too.
Madagascar is home to an extraordinary collection of animals found nowhere else in the world. They include fossas - which resemble a cross between cats and dogs, 70 types of lemurs, flying foxes and narrow striped mongooses.
But scientists have long been puzzled how the ancestors of these animals got to Madagascar.
Read more: dailymail.co.uk/sciencete…#ixzz0yC38fF1V
Read more: dailymail.co.uk/sciencete…#ixzz0yC33fFv6
All distances are to Sydney
London: 10,562 miles (16997 km)
Los Angeles: 7,487 miles (12049 km)
New York: 9,935 miles (15989 km)
Tokyo: 4,845 miles (7798 km)
Moscow: 9,005 miles (14492 km)
Johannesburg: 6,884 miles (11078 km)
Singapore: 3,925 miles (6316 km)
clickforaustralia.com/AustralianFacts.htm
These are all much greater than 300 miles. My impression is that the ancestors of modern kangaroos and koalas were present when the land masses were either one or very close together. As the land masses moved apart Australia became isolated and the animals there developed into their modern forms or else remained the same, depending on changing environments (geographical, predation, humans influencing the environment, etc.)
This is just an initial impression. Travelling on natural rafts could certainly be used for short trips and animals could jump from one place to another using this method until the distances became too great.