About 66 million years ago, a giant asteroid crashed into the Earth and radically changed the ecosystem of our planet. This catastrophe led to the extinction of dinosaurs and the evolution of new life forms. Now a new study has found traces of this massive extinction in the genes of modern-day birds.
Shocking traces of dinosaur extinction in bird genetics
Scientists have made important findings by analyzing the genetic traces of the first birds that emerged after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Researchers from the University of California have detected genetic changes in the DNA of birds from the late dinosaurs. This study reveals how the extinction of dinosaurs affected the evolutionary development of birds. The study observed significant changes in the genetic structure of birds following the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
In particular, the researchers examined the 5 million-year period immediately after the asteroid impact 66 million years ago. During this time, there were significant changes in the genetic makeup of birds, including body size, metabolism and offspring development. For example, birds became much smaller than avian dinosaurs and their young were born without feathers and required intensive parental care. But some modern birds, such as ducks and chickens, do not require this care.
The team used sophisticated software to determine how these genetic shifts affected how the extinction of the dinosaurs affected the biology of birds. Their results show how changes in DNA composition occurred in response to the extinction of dinosaurs. These findings allow us to better understand how the catastrophic end of the dinosaurs affected the evolutionary development of birds.
The research shows that the extinction of the dinosaurs affected not only ecosystems, but also genetic structures. Scientists emphasize that such research will help us understand the profound effects of mass extinctions on organismal biology. In the future, these findings could enable further discoveries in evolutionary biology and genetics research.
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