Podcast Episode 86 l Drastic Changes in Bird Evolution

11/04/2024 7 min
Podcast Episode 86 l Drastic Changes in Bird Evolution

Listen "Podcast Episode 86 l Drastic Changes in Bird Evolution"

Episode Synopsis

Recent advancements in genomic sequencing and analysis have started to unravel the intricate story of avian evolution. Two studies, published on April 1 in the journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Nature, shed light on a genetic anomaly approximately 65 million years old (exactly when that asteroid hit) that has obscured scientists' understanding of avian evolutionary history. Specifically, a section of one chromosome failed to undergo expected mixing with adjacent DNA, impeding the construction of a detailed bird family tree.