Zoras Evolving Into Rito: Explain It to Me!

[The Jade Fist]

The great sea is often described as a fishless sea (yes there are a few fish like the ones that make maps and giant squids apparently) . Also Zora have always been depicted in shallow waters. And the bottom of the great sea is nothing but a giant magical barrier. So they have no food, no shelter.

Above said they are fresh water, but they doesn't seam to be the case if you consider majora's mask zora lived in the ocean.

I think it simply stems from the fact there is little to no food nor shelter, they were better off on land. And they were already a magically inclined race, so the evolution wouldn't be beyond them, and stated they don't grow wings unless they undergo a ritual, so they aren't entirely natural beings either.

Lastly i think it was an excuse to make a bird people, but still connect it back. They tried in wind waker too hard to make connections.

edit:

and since even counting oracle of ages, they were in the ocean, but it was still fairly shallow water, Hard to really make a distinction on game boy graphics, but there was alot of rocks / small islands near by.

Its quite possible that salt water or fresh water doesn't matter to the zora

 

[Donutwizard]

IDK. I thought about it and it made my head hurt
also are zoras/zolas the same thing? the name sounds very similar.

 

[PyramidOfPower]

The Zoras didn't evolve much, they were given much. Valoo gave them wings which is also feathers. Fish have beaks inside and that is where the beaks came from. When the goddesses flooded the world the reason was no one could get down to Hyrule except for the hero. Therefore, Din who was Valoos patron told Valoo to give the Ruto wings. Also on the time matter we no it must have been a loooong time between the great flood and the events in WW because 1) Link's grandma doesn't seem like she knows anything about Hyrule 2) the legend at the beginning says the hero was forgotten and 3) the Goron race has almost died off which takes a long time and since Dragon Roost Island is Death Mountain those Gorons are most likely Terminian because their mannerisms and appearance are more like the Gorons in MM so therefore it was a long while.

 

[Jo-Onis]

I too, have thought about it alot, the most obvious and most likely correct answer is what many already have said, they were granted the power, either by Valoo himself, or maybe Jabu Jabu might have had something to do with it considering he is their Guardian Diety, and that he pocessess very great powers.