Kiwi bird lost color vision
Print Edition
Scientists say they have sequenced the genome of the brown kiwi for the first time, revealing that the shy, flightless bird likely lost its ability to see colors after it became nocturnal tens of millions of years ago.
Inspection of the kiwi’s DNA also showed greater diversity than in other birds in genes responsible for smell, indicating that New Zealand’s national animal can probably detect a wider range of odors — another useful adaptation for a species that prefers living in the dark.
The study, by scientists at University of Leipzig, Germany, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, was published yesterday in the journal Genome Biology.
Diana Le Duc, one of the authors, said the kiwi lost its color vision once that ability ceased to be an evolutionary advantage because it was active mainly at night. By comparing the mutation responsible for this change to the same genetic sequence for other birds, the researchers estimated that it occurred some 35 million years ago, after the kiwi came to New Zealand.
Researchers are particularly interested in the kiwi genome because of the bird’s unusual characteristics, such as the lack of tail and a very long beak.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
