Date: November 4, 2016
Source: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate
University - OIST
During his notable trip to the Galápagos Islands, Charles
Darwin collected several mockingbird specimens on different islands in the
region. He later discovered that each island only contained a single species of
mockingbird and no two species of mockingbird co-existed on an individual
island. Due to their geographical separation, over time these birds had evolved
different characteristics in coloration, behavior, and beak shape. These
observations raise the question: how does a geographical region influence the
evolution of a species?
Tropical birds are well known for their colorful appearance:
vibrantly colored macaws, parakeets and parrots are widely considered to be the
quintessential birds of this region. The popularity of these birds leads many
to assume that tropical climates are home to a greater proportion of colorful
birds than temperate climates. But do birds evolve to become more colorful when
they move to the tropics? Research from Dr. Nicholas Friedman, who is part of
the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and
Technology Graduate University (OIST), helps answer this question.
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