birds beaks may evolve to better reach backyard feeders
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Birds' beaks may evolve to better reach backyard feeders

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleBirds' beaks may evolve to better reach backyard feeders

Researchers screened DNA from more than 3,000 birds
Miami - AFP

Britain's enthusiasm for backyard bird-feeding may have led some of the nation's feathered friends to evolve bigger beaks in just the past 40 years, researchers said Thursday.

The report in the US journal Science compared beak length among birds known as great tits in Britain and The Netherlands, where bird-feeders are less common.

 

"Between the 1970s and the present day, beak length has got longer among the British birds. That's a really short time period in which to see this sort of difference emerging," said study co-author Jon Slate, professor in the department of animal and plant sciences at the University of Sheffield.

"We now know that this increase in beak length, and the difference in beak length between birds in Britain and mainland Europe, is down to genes that have evolved by natural selection."

The report is part of a long-term study under way on great tits in Britain's Wytham Woods, along with Oosterhout and Veluwe in the Netherlands.

Researchers screened DNA from more than 3,000 birds in order to uncover genetic differences between the British and the Dutch populations.

Changes in specific gene sequences in the British birds were found to closely match human genes that determine face shape.

Researchers also discovered that birds with genetic variants for longer beaks were more frequent visitors to feeders than birds without the genetic variation.

And there were "strong similarities with genes identified with beak shape," in line with naturalist Charles Darwin's historic study of finches, which showed how finches evolved physical traits that helped them adapt to different environments in the wild.

"In the UK we spend around twice as much on birdseed and bird feeders than mainland Europe -- and, we've been doing this for some time," said co-author Lewis Spurgin of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

"Although we can't say definitively that bird feeders are responsible, it seems reasonable to suggest that the longer beaks amongst British great tits may have evolved as a response to this supplementary feeding."

Researchers on the study came from The Netherlands Institute of Ecology and the Universities of Wageningen, Oxford, Exeter, East Anglia, Sheffield.

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

birds beaks may evolve to better reach backyard feeders birds beaks may evolve to better reach backyard feeders

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 11:36 2018 Thursday ,04 January

Mountain bike world champ seriously hurt in car crash

GMT 12:47 2016 Saturday ,24 September

How to save endangered species

GMT 12:08 2011 Tuesday ,22 November

Mini Éclairs

GMT 11:17 2017 Thursday ,16 November

UN warns fuel running out

GMT 09:11 2017 Monday ,25 September

German campaign takeaways and challenges

GMT 22:02 2017 Tuesday ,19 September

Tariq Yahia says his team is ready

GMT 22:17 2017 Sunday ,01 January

Israeli forces nab 6 Palestinians in WB

GMT 11:08 2017 Thursday ,14 September

New Zealand opposition looks

GMT 19:26 2014 Tuesday ,30 December

Bahrain to implement several development projects

GMT 17:08 2016 Friday ,18 November

South Korea blocks Google export of map data

GMT 13:34 2012 Thursday ,16 February

Q&A: Tuition fees

GMT 04:08 2011 Thursday ,06 October

US dominates university global rankings

GMT 14:15 2013 Thursday ,07 March

The £599 anti-ageing cream formulated by NASA

GMT 16:15 2011 Sunday ,11 December

Iran starts exams for nanotechnology teachers

GMT 07:13 2015 Tuesday ,14 April

Nokia: It is in talks to buy all of Alcatel-Lucent

GMT 13:19 2012 Monday ,12 March

I\'m grateful to Al-Haya

GMT 14:09 2011 Tuesday ,19 April

US urges Pakistan to continue economic reforms

GMT 09:32 2016 Wednesday ,07 December

Injured Rose was '50-50' for HK Open defence
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle