University of Michigan researchers have used an AI tool to demonstrate that birds in the group Passeriformes evolved in rapid evolutionary bursts and that these bursts frequently coincided with climate shifts throughout Earth’s history.
University of Michigan researchers have used an AI tool to demonstrate that birds in the group Passeriformes evolved in rapid evolutionary bursts and that these bursts frequently coincided with climate shifts throughout Earth’s history.
Evolutionary theory predicts that the evolution of organisms occurs in pulsed bursts followed by slowdowns—something researchers have seen hints of in the fossil record. Now, looking at passerines, University of Michigan researchers have identified these evolutionary bursts by examining data gleaned from skeletal measurements of contemporary bird specimens. The researchers also observed that these bursts coincided with historical climate change.
“This is really important for evolutionary theory because there’s a long history, going back 100 years, that predicts the emergence of new groups, called evolutionary radiations, is often associated with an explosive burst of diversification. Evolutionary theory predicts that adaptive radiations may account for a large portion of the diversity of life on earth,” said Jake Berv, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability.
Read more at: University of Michigan
Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola). Sentier des Coqs-de-Roche, French Guiana. University of Michigan researchers found that birds in the group Passeriformes evolved in rapid bursts that coincided with climatic shifts. (Photo Credit: Cody Limber/Macaulay Librar)
