[caption id="attachment_75926" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Kiwi Could Be Australian Says Expert Photo courtesy Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust[/caption]New Zealand's National Bird May Actually Be from Australia

The kiwi, a wingless bird found natively in New Zealand, has become the symbol by which the inhabitants of this prosperous nation identify themselves. The nation's soldiers are called "kiwis" and ordinary citizens call themselves "kiwis". However, it may be that the famous bird can trace its roots back to Australia.

People of New Zealand share a rivalry with Australia that rises to the same level as that of the United States and Canada or perhaps even Sweden and Norway. The conventional theory had been that the kiwi was the descendant of the wingless giant moa which originated in New Zealand. However, recent studies are suggesting that the kiwi is a related to the wingless emu of Australia. If the DNA plays out as it is now looking, the kiwi will have Australian origins. It's bad enough that New Zealand often plays second fiddle to Australia like a younger brother. Now, their symbol of national identity will be owed to Australia. It is sure to fuel a number of jokes from their haughty neighbors.

However, one expert seems to disagree. Hugh Robertson, a New Zealander, states that many years ago, land connected the two island nations. So even if the kiwi is related to the emu, it does not prove conclusively that some unknown species had to have flown over from Australia and later evolved into the present day kiwi.

On The Web:
How the Kiwi could be Australian and not from New Zealand
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/10522187/How-the-Kiwi-could-be-Australian-and-not-from-New-Zealand.html