All articles tagged with #species identification
Cowbird chicks, which hatch without parental care due to brood parasitism, learn their species and social behaviors by hanging out with unrelated adult female cowbirds rather than their biological parents, challenging previous assumptions about parental reunion in these birds.
Paul Hebert, a biologist, struggled to identify the millions of species of moths and butterflies until he had a lightbulb moment in a supermarket, leading to the development of DNA barcoding. This technique uses a segment of DNA to differentiate between species and has since been proven successful for identifying a vast majority of animal life. DNA barcoding has revolutionized species identification, providing a reliable, inexpensive, and accessible solution that has implications for conservation, combating wildlife crime, and monitoring biodiversity.