Tits get longer peckers
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(I just wanted to use this for a thread title)
Great Tits Are Evolving Longer Beaks Because of Bird Feeders
Certain birds in the U.K. have longer beaks than their non-U.K. brethren of the same species. Evolutionary biologists suggest that it's the British people's fondness for setting out bird feeders that is behind this trend. The hobby appears to be directly impacting evolution.
Researchers studied beak lengths of great tits in the U.K., where bird feeders are popular, and in the Netherlands, where they are not. They also tracked the location of tagged tits to determine how much time they spent at bird feeders. The scientists also have 70 years' worth of historical data on great tits and could discern that their beak lengths are changing with time. The study was published today in the journal Science.
The researchers started by analyzing DNA from more than 3,000 great tits in the U.K. and in the Netherlands. They found differences in several genes indicating face shape. The gene variant for faces with longer beaks was correlated with having a higher number of fledgling chicks—so the gene can continue to spread throughout their population.
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Great Tits usually result in longer peckers…
