Science Finally Explains Why Birds In Brazil Are So Colorful

A long-standing theory was recently confirmed in a study by scientists at the University of Sheffield. This is evidence of the belief that tropical birds Located near the equator – where Brazil and other countries are located – they tend to be more colorful.

This discovery was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, where it can be verified tropical birds They are 30% more colorful than birds that live near the poles.

Although naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt suspected this trend in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, scientists have now only been able to substantiate this thesis.

The study relied on a series of technology-focused resources on the image and micro-data that, together, made it possible to analyze these patterns on a global scale. The research team was led by Dr. Connie Dr. Gavin Thomas of the university’s School of Biological Sciences.

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Research analysis on tropical birds

During the survey, 4500 kinds of tropical birds A passerby was photographed. These are roosting birds such as sparrows, songbirds and sparrows. The Sheffield team was able to determine the exact color of plumage in 1,500 individual spots in each sample.

But to make this identification, it was necessary to extract data from the pixels in the image. This technique allowed the researchers to extract the exact total number of “color loci” for each sample similar to an intuitive color scale. No explanation has been given yet as to why tropical birds be hotter.

However, the results suggest that dietary differences between tropical and non-tropical species, as well as the influence of their natural habitats, have the potential to play a major role in the coloration of their plumage. It is worth noting that the results provide information on the distribution of biodiversity across the planet.

Thus, researchers will have an easier time identifying the so-called “hotspots” of bird colors. In practice, these points will become more aware of what they can lose if the studied bird species and their habitats are not properly maintained.

Researchers have photographed more than 24,000 birds that make up the collection of the Natural History Museum in Tring. The collection contains samples of more than 95% of the world’s live birds..

For Chris Cooney, Principal Investigator in the University of Sheffield’s School of Biological Sciences, the work is able to reveal a broad pattern of 30% of birds of color heading toward the equator, as well as identifying possible explanations for this fact.

“This is exciting because it helps us better understand the factors that enhance and maintain biodiversity on a global scale. However, these large-scale associations with species habitats and dietary differences can only tell us so much, and there is so much to learn about the precise ecological and evolutionary factors that lead to increased Coloration in tropical species.”

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Laura Alvarenga has a degree in Journalism from Centro Universitário do Triângulo in Uberlândia – MG. He started his career in communications consulting, spent a few years working for local small print newspapers, and is now involved in online journalism through FDR Portal and Bit Magazine, researching and producing content on economics, social rights, finance and technology.