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Isolated islands are a good contender for exotic adaptions like armored birds for the following reasons. The space is often limited; Competition is very high; and escaping unfavorable circumstances by looking for new habitats is not always possible. These limitations can lead to an Evolutionary Arms Race, which is one possible cause of a highly specialized adaption like armor.

Isolated islands are a good contender for exotic adaptions like armored birds for the following reasons. The space is often limited; Competition is very high; and escaping unfavorable circumstances by looking for new habitats is not always possible. These limitations can lead to an Evolutionary Arms Race, specifically the Red Queen's Race; which is one possible cause of a highly specialized adaption like armor.

In an Evolutionary Arms Race a predator evolves to hunt its prey more effectively, and its prey evolves to survive more effectively in response. As a basic example, a predator that evolves to be faster in order to catch its prey may cause the prey, in order to survive, to evolve to be even faster to escape. Now that the prey is faster, the predator now again evolves to be even faster to catch this even faster prey. Then the prey evolves again to be even faster to escape, and so on. This goes on and on in a loop until eventually both the predator and prey are absurdly and implausibly fast; far beyond what we would expect under normal circumstances. In this way an Evolutionary Arms Race can lead to wildly exaggerated traits like heavy armor and other defense mechanisms in a bird. One real world example of an Evolutionary Arms race is this toxic newt.

An isolated island is a good contender for this situation because resources are limited. The only prey available to this island's predators may be this one bird. So both species may get locked into a race that neither can escape. For example leopards on our island may get better at cracking armor, and our armored bird may evolve thicker and thicker armor in response, or get better at killing predators.

In an Evolutionary Arms Race a predator evolves to hunt its prey more effectively, and its prey evolves to survive more effectively in response. As a basic example, a predator that evolves to be faster in order to catch its prey may cause the prey, in order to survive, to evolve to be even faster. Now that the prey is faster, the predator now again evolves to be (even) faster in order to catch this faster prey. When this happens the prey evolves again to be even faster so it can escape, and so on. This goes on and on in a loop until eventually both the predator and prey are absurdly and implausibly fast; far beyond what we would expect under normal circumstances. In this way an Evolutionary Arms Race can lead to wildly exaggerated traits like heavy armor and other defense mechanisms. One real world example of an Evolutionary Arms race is this toxic newt.

An isolated island is a good contender for this situation because resources are limited. The only prey available to this island's predators may be this one armored bird. So both species may get locked into a race that neither can escape. For example leopards on our island may get better at cracking armor, and our armored bird may evolve thicker and thicker armor in response, or get better at killing predators.

This is one situation that could lead to pangolin armored birds.

In an Evolutionary Arms Race a predator evolves to hunt its prey more effectively, and its prey evolves survive more effectively in response. As a basic example, a predator that evolves to be faster in order to catch its prey may cause the prey, in order to survive, to evolve to be even faster to escape. Now that the prey is faster, the predator now again evolves to be even faster to catch this even faster prey. Then the prey evolves again to be faster and escape, and so on. This goes on and on in a loop until eventually both the predator and prey are absurdly and implausibly fast. Far beyond what we would expect under normal circumstances. In this way an Evolutionary Arms Race can lead to wildly exaggerated traits like very heavy armor and defense mechanisms on a bird. One real world example of an Evolutionary Arms race is this toxic newt.

An isolated island is a good contender for this situation because resources are limited. The only prey available to this island's predators may be this one bird. So both species may get locked into a race that neither can escape until one species has been wiped out. For example leopards on our island may get better at cracking armor, and our armored bird may get thicker and thicker armor and or get better at killing predators. Rinse and repeat until you reach your desired level of evolution.

In an Evolutionary Arms Race a predator evolves to hunt its prey more effectively, and its prey evolves to survive more effectively in response. As a basic example, a predator that evolves to be faster in order to catch its prey may cause the prey, in order to survive, to evolve to be even faster to escape. Now that the prey is faster, the predator now again evolves to be even faster to catch this even faster prey. Then the prey evolves again to be even faster to escape, and so on. This goes on and on in a loop until eventually both the predator and prey are absurdly and implausibly fast; far beyond what we would expect under normal circumstances. In this way an Evolutionary Arms Race can lead to wildly exaggerated traits like heavy armor and other defense mechanisms in a bird. One real world example of an Evolutionary Arms race is this toxic newt.

An isolated island is a good contender for this situation because resources are limited. The only prey available to this island's predators may be this one bird. So both species may get locked into a race that neither can escape. For example leopards on our island may get better at cracking armor, and our armored bird may evolve thicker and thicker armor in response, or get better at killing predators.