Newly discovered birds in Idaho 'Arms race' for co-evolution

No one thought of discovering a new bird species in North America and hoped it could provide insight into the co-evolutionary race to promote species formation. However, that study was published on American Naturalist .

Professor Julie Smith of Pacific Lutheran University and counselor of the University of Wyoming, Craig Benkman, discovered genuine evidence that co-evolution has led to the formation of new North American birds. Professor Benkman said the new species is restricted to two low mountain areas of southern Idaho (South Hills and Albion). This new red-beaked species is named differently in both Loxia curvirostra's morphology and acoustics, which is a sparrow that feeds on seeds by separating seeds from pine cones.

A South Hills male beak is using his distorted upper jaw to separate the regular blue crust to get the seeds, the upper jaw helps them to have strong surgeries.(Photo: Physorg.com)

Smith's actual research has found that some mechanisms contribute to almost complete miscarriage between this type of beak and other types that often move to South Hills each year. The most remarkable thing in this study is that the newly developed slanted species is due to the ' arms race ' between the slanted and ordinary green beak (Pinus contorta pine needles) for a period of 5 to 7 thousand years.

Because the South Hills slanted beaks have thicker barked fruits, the pine trees, on the other hand, also choose the slanted beaks with larger beaks to be able to 'handle' the thicker bark. This co-evolution basically caused the slanted beaks to change its morphology differently from others. Since the South Hills warbler has adapted to separating the seeds from the well-covered pine cones, they are a formidable opponent and thus somewhat limit the reproductive frequency of the less-acclimatized animals and travelers. Residential in South Hills.

That ecological difference has led to reproductive segregation before mating, which is almost completed by pairing between different species (more than 99% of South Hills slanting pairs with children). other). According to Benkman, this suggests that the degree of isolated reproductive properties of red-billed beaks can evolve even and continuously in terms of the potential source of genetic resources. It also shows that co-evolution can be a great force for rapid generation of one-wing biodiversity.

The study was published on American Naturalist (AN) 2007, one of the most famous publishers founded in 1867, specializing in the publication of integrated ecological, evolutionary, density and biological studies. AN stressed the subtle methodologies and the trend to synthesize improvement theory all in an effort to promote systematic evolutionary knowledge and other extended biological principles.

Anh Phuong

According to University of Chicago Press Journals, Dong Nai Department of Science and Technology