Ornithologists with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have stitched together the most complete avian evolutionary tree ever, unveiling surprising relationships and offering bird lovers the illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer to trace lineages and evolutionary milestones.
European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster). Image credit: Rashuli / CC BY 2.0.
Understanding avian phylogeny is a fundamental aspect that underpins most ornithology research.
But with more than 11,000 bird species in the world, organizing the available phylogenetic trees into a single synthetic depiction, and keeping it current, has long challenged ornithologists.
The Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer uniquely addresses these challenges by staying current with the latest research.
“This tool combines centuries of bird research with computational tools to create an engaging and interactive resource that tells the story of how birds evolved,” said Dr. Eliot Miller, a researcher with American Bird Conservancy.
“New evolutionary relationships are constantly revealed. We will release an updated Phylogeny Tool annually, thus providing a comprehensive phylogenetic dataset that syncs with current taxonomy.”
“This tool greatly benefits science,” said Dr. Pam Rasmussen, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
“The entire tree of life for birds, built on the latest phylogenetic research, is now an interactive and downloadable dataset from Birds of the World that will stimulate endless questions and deeper research.”
“The tree is a vital entry point for answering so many questions, such as how evolutionary history may have influenced beak shape, wing length, foraging habits, habitat preferences, or other traits in birds.”
“Birders will be excited by the Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer’s built-in personalization,” said Dr. Marshall Iliff, also from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
“By logging into the platform, birders can visualize the diversity of their eBird life list.”
“Users can also zoom into different parts of the tree to examine their birding history in the context of bird orders, families, and genera, revealing evolutionary patterns in the species they’ve observed and highlighting gaps they might want to fill.”
“Suddenly, a birder’s life list becomes a personal journey through evolutionary history, showing not just what they’ve seen, but how those species fit into the grander story of avian evolution.”
“Users of this tool are bound to encounter a few surprises. For example, how can downy woodpeckers in North America look so much like hairy woodpeckers, and yet not be closely related?”
“Why do falcons, despite being fierce hunters like hawks and eagles, actually belong on completely different branches of the family tree?”
“Taxonomic puzzlers like these will give anyone seriously interested in birds a lifetime of wonder.”
