▁Kar ls ru he , ▁where ▁he ▁occupied ▁the ▁department ▁chair ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Bud ▁Web ster , ▁Ste iner ' s ▁motiv ation ▁for ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁instruction al , ▁to ▁illustrate ▁" how ▁animals ▁evol ve ▁in ▁isol ation ". ▁ ▁Har ald ▁St ü mp ke ' s ▁account ▁Ste iner ' s ▁fict ional ▁author , ▁cred ited ▁as ▁" qu ond am ▁cur ator ▁of ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁the ▁Dar win ▁Institute ▁of ▁Hy - yi - yi , ▁M air uw ili ," ▁provides ▁a ▁very ▁detailed ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁and ▁individual ▁species , ▁written ▁in ▁a ▁dry , ▁scholar ly ▁tone . ▁The ▁evidently ▁expert ▁voice ▁of ▁the ▁author , ▁his ▁compet ent ▁writing , ▁and ▁apparent ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁convent ions ▁of ▁academic ▁literature ▁set ▁the ▁work ▁apart ▁as ▁a ▁rare ▁example ▁at ▁the ▁intersection ▁of ▁fiction ▁and ▁scholar ship . ▁Ste iner ▁cred its ▁himself ▁by ▁name ▁as ▁illustr ator ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁and ▁explains ▁how ▁that ▁role ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁possess ▁the ▁only ▁remaining ▁record ▁of ▁Rh in og rad ent ia . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁and ▁study ▁at ▁Hy - yi - yi ▁According ▁to ▁St ü mp ke , ▁Rh in og rad ent ia ▁were ▁native ▁to ▁Hy - yi - yi , ▁a ▁small ▁Pacific ▁arch ip el ago ▁compr ising ▁eigh teen ▁islands : ▁An no or uss aw ub b iss y