Balrog 'v' Moria orcs

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Axbolt

Does the Balrog have wings? Why didn't it fly when Gandalf broke the bridge???

It is related through evolution to penguins and ostriches. See, after the Balrogs flew at the end of the First Age, they never used their wings again, and so over many generations the wings became vestigial features, quite useless for flight but still important for other biologically important events. For instance, Balrogs often puff out their wings to appear bigger when they want to frighten off their enemies, and the size, shape, and coloration of the wings is a major factor in mate selection.




...What? This is the Mirth forum!


That aside (but for the record, I don't think the Balrog had wings), I don't think the orcs would have gathered many plants and shoots - they don't seem to be the ones for a veggie diet.