DNA study shakes up bird family tree

Published: June 28, 2008 at 12:50 AM
THICK-BILLED PARROT

CHICAGO, June 28 (UPI) -- The Field Museum in Chicago said a massive study of bird genetics has completely redrawn the avian evolutionary tree.

"The results of the study are so broad that the scientific names of dozens of birds will have to be changed, and biology textbooks and birdwatchers' field guides will have to be revised," The Field Museum said Thursday in a release.

An international research team spent more than five years examining DNA from all major living groups of birds. The findings are published in the journal Science.

The study found that colorful hummingbirds evolved from drab nocturnal nightjars, falcons are not closely related to hawks and eagles and tropicbirds are not closely related to pelicans and other waterbirds.

"Our study and the remarkable new understanding of the evolutionary relationships of birds that it affords was possible only because of the technological advances of the last few years that have enabled us to sample larger portions of genomes," said Shannon Hackett, associate curator of birds at The Field Museum.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News (3 min)
Parents object to haircut punishment (11 min)
October budget deficit is $176.3 billion (12 min)
Officer hit by golf cart during parade (15 min)
Ex-Neb. RB Collins gets life for murder (20 min)
Facebook post clears robbery suspect (26 min)
UPI NewsTrack Sports (32 min)
fark
Guy's cell phone minutes run out, so he calls 911 five times to see if anyone will have sex with...
*POP*
Woman wins $1M McDonalds Monopoly prize. Plans to use winnings on new house, car, angioplasty
You went full North by Northwest, dude. Never go full North by Northwest
Not news: ex-soldier finds a gun in his garden - Still not news: man hands gun into police - Fark:...
Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yeah, Bow wow yippie yo yippie yeah (c)