A bird’s beak is a specialized tool that helps it forage in a range of environments, from eating seeds off the ground to snatching insects out of the air. Researchers at Oxford University have been studying the great tit population in Oxfordshire for 70 years, and have recently discovered that the beaks of this bird species have apparently been getting longer. They suspect that this is an extraordinary example of rapid evolution, a result of the British obsession with feeding birds triggering the need for a longer beak to reach into garden bird feeders.
Seeds, beaks, and evolving birds:
anon999115
Post 1 |
Reminded me of Gilbert & Sullivan's song about titwillow. 'll go google it now to discover what kind of creatures were titwillows. Thanks for the daily cobweb clearing. |