Like, I’m aware of there being exceptions like Penguins, Ostriches, and Bats. But in general, why is there such a distinct land/air split between mammals and birds? Why don’t mammals share the ground with ecosystems of plant- and meat-eating walking birds? Why didn’t we get birds that evolved to slither like snakes, or tunnel like rodents? Why isn’t it (land+sky) all just mammals, where we’d have parrot- and vulture-like bats that don’t lay eggs? If we started the simulation again, might things like this evolve?
Hmm I live in NZ, our only native mammal is a bat, which can fly. And we’ve got Kiwi, Kākāpō, Takahē and so many penguins that can’t fly. Mammals take it I’m afraid