Single atom can change colour of bird. These are genes responsible

SYDNEY/NEW YORK: Across the animal kingdom, birds are some of the most colourful creatures of all. But how did all the amazingly coloured different bird species arise?

Nearly all birds with bright red, orange, and yellow feathers or bills use a group of pigments called carotenoids to produce their colours. However, these animals can’t make carotenoids directly. They must acquire them through their diets from the plants they eat. Parrots are the exception to this rule, having evolved an entirely new way to make colourful pigments, called psittacofulvins.

Although scientists have known about these different pigments for some time, understanding the biochemical and genetic basis behind how birds use them to vary in colour has been less clear. But two recent separate studies about parrots and finches have provided vital insight into this mystery.

Source: PTI News

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