Researchers studying British wrens in remote Scottish island populations report signs that some birds are evolving separately from mainland counterparts. The work examines four isolated populations, including birds from Shetland and St Kilda, and finds that island wrens can become substantially larger than mainland wrens. Scientists report that the biggest St Kilda wrens weigh more than twice as much as the smallest mainland birds. The study also finds evidence that populations on different islands are not only changing in size, but are developing distinct characteristics over time. According to the accounts, this includes differences that may involve song, appearance, and genetic variation, consistent with independent evolutionary trajectories. The researchers frame the findings within the concept of “island syndromes,” where isolated environments can drive parallel kinds of evolutionary change. A paper published in the journal Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, led by the University of Birmingham, highlights particularly strong evidence of “island gigantism” in two of the studied island populations. The researchers say these trends could eventually lead to new species forming, although they do not state that species status has already been reached.
Scottish island wrens show independent evolution and island gigantism, study finds
Researchers studying British wrens in remote Scottish island populations report signs that some birds are evolving separately from mainland counterparts. The work examines four isolated populations, i...
- Scientists study four isolated British wren populations, including island groups such as Shetland and St Kilda.
- Island wrens show strong “island gigantism,” growing much larger than mainland wrens.
- The largest St Kilda birds weigh more than twice as much as the smallest mainland birds.
- The study finds island populations are evolving independently, with differences reported in genetics and other traits.
- Researchers say the changes could eventually result in new species forming.
Shetland and St Kilda wrens are isolated and so are beginning to develop separately.
3 months agoShetland and St Kilda wrens are isolated and so are beginning to develop separately.
3 months agoTiny birds on remote Scottish islands are undergoing a dramatic evolutionary transformation. Scientists studying four isolated populations of British Wrens discovered that some island birds have grown astonishingly large — with the biggest St Kilda Wrens weighing more than twice as much as the smallest mainland birds. The research suggests these wrens are evolving independently, developing unique songs, appearances, and genetics that may eventually turn them into entirely new species.
3 months agoA new study of British wrens has provided new insights into the inner workings of "island syndromes," according to research led by the University of Birmingham. The paper, published in the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, reveals that different subspecies of island wrens are evolving independently, with the team finding particularly strong evidence of "island gigantism" in two of the studied populations.
3 months ago
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