This article is in reply to: Rawlence, N. J., Kardamaki, A., Easton, L. J., Tennyson, A. J. D., Scofield, P. R., & Waters, J. M. (2017). Ancient DNA and morphometric analysis re-veal extinction and replacement of New Zealand’s unique black swans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284, 20170876.