Two research papers highlighted that a previously overlooked genetic anomaly misled scientists regarding the lineage of birds.Scientists explored a new chapter in the evolution of birds which explains that despite the DNA sequencing technologies, which simplified the classification of about 10,000 bird species, researchers experienced a twist in the avian family tree.
The new theory
“We had no idea there would be a big chunk of the genome that behaved unusually. We kind of stumbled onto it,” Edward Braun, Ph.D., senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The new theory is based on analysing the genomes of 363 species. The new theory is believed to contradict the theory that doves and flamingos belong to different groups. The new theory is based on the identification of a genomic region that can stop the natural process of recombination, a mechanism needed for maximising genetic diversity through sexual reproduction.
Furthermore, “What’s surprising is that this period of suppressed recombination could mislead the analysis, and because it could mislead the analysis, it was actually detectable more than 60 million years in the future. That’s the cool part,” Braun concluded.