,the paleontologist.

Did you know that some animals really do float long distances across oceans on natural rafts made of plants?

Take Madagascar, a huge island off the coast of Africa.

Most of Madagascar's animals, from cat-like fossas to monkey-like lemurs, are not found anywhere else in the world.

For a long time, scientists wondered how the ancestors of all these strange animals got from Africa to Madagascar.

Now we think they caught a ride on a floating tree or raft made of plants and branches.

These natural rafts would have floated all the way from the continent of Africa, hundreds of miles across the ocean to Madagascar.

This island is also famous for other strange creatures like pygmy hippos, whose ancestors probably swam to the island, and bats, whose ancestors could have flown there.

Okay, remember.

Get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries!