Acacia heterophylla 1.4 million years ago. "A. heterophylla" sequences nest within those of the more diverse "A. koa", making the latter species paraphyletic. Both species are descended from an ancestral species in Australia, presumably their sister species, "Acacia melanoxylon"; the means of dispersal to Hawaii and then to Réunion (the latter trip a distance of 18,000 km) is thought to have been seed-carrying by birds such as petrels (the seeds of these species are not adapted for prolonged immersion in seawater). Both species also have very similar ecological niches, which differ from that of "A. melanoxylon". Acacia heterophylla Acacia heterophylla, the highland
Scissor-billed koa finch Kanaloa" ("Kanaloa kahoolawensis") and "koaia" ("Acacia koaia") were probably important food sources, and it may have eaten caterpillars and "aalii" ("Dodonaea viscosa") berries. Due to its early extinction, very little is known about this species. It is only known from fossil remains. Other Hawaiian honeycreepers are known to have become extinct or very rare due to habitat loss, introduced predators and avian diseases. It is possible the extinction of the scissor-billed koa finch also involved these factors. Scissor-billed koa finch The scissor-billed koa finch, ("Rhodacanthis forfex") or scissor finch is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. Of the four species