Tropical birds evolved slowly

Tropical birds evolved slowly

Kinglet Manakin (Machaeropterus regulus) Bahia, Brazil. Credit: Ciro Albano

Scientists have uncovered a surprising paradox in species evolution: birds in tropical hotspots evolved much more slowly than those in environments with low species diversity.

That means birds in tropical regions such as the Amazon, Central America and the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains are less likely to form new species than their sparser counterparts in cold, dry environments such as deserts and mountaintops.

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Published by Cosmos.

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