Science
Swiss barn owls are gradually changing color
Source: Phys.org · Published
Over the past 30 years, Swiss barn owls have become more reddish-brown and more heavily spotted. By analyzing the genomes of more than 3,000 birds, scientists at the University of Lausanne identified the genetic variants linked to these changes in plumage and revealed natural selection at work. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, show that evolution can happen rapidly in the wild.
Key points
- Over the past 30 years, Swiss barn owls have become more reddish-brown and more heavily spotted.
- By analyzing the genomes of more than 3,000 birds, scientists at the University of Lausanne identified the genetic variants linked to these changes in plumage and revealed natural selection at work.
- Their findings, published in Nature Communications, show that evolution can happen rapidly in the wild.
Related stories
- How humans domesticated the bacterium behind Botox treatments
Phys.org · 21 Oct 2026, 19:50
- What faces in paintings can tell us about how we perceive emotion
Phys.org · 21 Oct 2026, 19:40
- Serengeti hyenas manage to keep clans stable as climate change alters animal migrations
Phys.org · 21 Oct 2026, 19:40
- Pupils who designed a badge sent to space meet NASA astronaut headed to the Moon
BBC News · 21 Oct 2026, 19:39
- Subsidence claims: After drought, ground can shrink, swell or even collapse when it rains—causing damage to homes
Phys.org · 21 Oct 2026, 19:20
- Ancient fish bones reveal how Arctic cod species survived the last ice age
Phys.org · 21 Oct 2026, 19:20
We are a news aggregator: we show the headline and a short excerpt with a link to the original source. We never republish full articles.