Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Birds evolve shorter wings to dodge traffic


Still Waters

Recommended Posts

Collisions with road vehicles are driving a population of swallows to evolve into faster, more agile fliers with shortened wings.

Natural selection has favoured birds that are better able to get out of the way of oncoming cars and trucks, scientists in the US discovered.

Survivors tend to have shorter wings that make it easier to take off quickly and pivot out of the path of danger.

http://www.dailymail...t-30-YEARS.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I always thought that Natural Selection takes a very long time, thousands of years, to take any discernible effect. Consequently, therefore, this makes me suspicious. Have we been lied to all these years?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought that Natural Selection takes a very long time, thousands of years, to take any discernible effect. Consequently, therefore, this makes me suspicious. Have we been lied to all these years?

Of course. :w00t:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought that Natural Selection takes a very long time, thousands of years, to take any discernible effect. Consequently, therefore, this makes me suspicious. Have we been lied to all these years?

It's about "four millimetres over the past 30 years"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's about "four millimetres over the past 30 years"

Well, exactly. if it takes just that amount of time for a detectable difference to appear, why are we told that it took tens of thousands of years for Apes to stand upright, or for lizards to evolve legs, or vice versa? Something looks fishy to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, exactly. if it takes just that amount of time for a detectable difference to appear, why are we told that it took tens of thousands of years for Apes to stand upright, or for lizards to evolve legs, or vice versa? Something looks fishy to me.

Because those changes you mentioned are huge in comparison.

Personally I think it's nothing special, those 4 millimeters. It's about total wingspan, so 2 mm less on both sides. We're talking feathers here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought that Natural Selection takes a very long time, thousands of years, to take any discernible effect. Consequently, therefore, this makes me suspicious. Have we been lied to all these years?

No. Small changes like this can happen generationally. Darwin observed this.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.