Space Industry and Business News  
FLORA AND FAUNA
Ornithologists discover three-species hybrid warbler
by Brooks Hays
Washington (UPI) Nov 7, 2018

Scientists have discovered a warbler in Pennsylvania that is the hybrid of three species, a rarity.

The bird, documented by ornithologists at Cornell University, is the offspring of a hybrid mother and father from a separate genus. It's the first time scientists have identified such a reproductive trifecta.

"It's extremely rare," David Toews, a postdoctoral associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said in a news release. "The female is a golden-winged/blue-winged warbler hybrid -- also called a Brewster's warbler. She then mated with a chestnut-sided warbler and successfully reproduced."

Lowell Burket, an avid birder from Roaring Spring, Penn., first noticed the hybrid warbler last spring. He described the unusual bird on eBird.org and reached out to a researcher at Cornell.

"I tried to make the email sound somewhat intellectual so they wouldn't think I was a crackpot," Burket said. "Having the photos and video helped. Within a week researcher David Toews came down. We found the bird again and collected a blood sample and measurements."

Analysis of the blood samples confirmed the bird's novel genetic heritage. Researchers were able to identify genetic coding inherited from the bird's mother and father.

"We confirmed that the mother would have looked like a Brewster's warbler and the father was a chestnut-sided warbler," Toews said.

Hybridization among golden-winged and blue-winged warblers is common, but the two species have never before been documented mating with chestnut-sided warblers.

Hybrids are more common among populations in decline. With fewer mates to choose from, birds are sometimes forced to shack up with closely related species.

"That this hybridization occurred within a population of golden-winged warblers in significant decline suggests that females may be making the best of a bad situation," said Toews. "It also tells us that wood-warblers in general have remained genetically compatible long after they evolved major differences in appearance."

Researchers described the novel hybrid this week in the journal Biology Letters. Toews and his colleagues plan to continue monitoring the unusual bird to see how his hybrid appearance affects his ability to find his own mate.


Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


FLORA AND FAUNA
Four rhinos die after Chad conservation effort
Libreville (AFP) Nov 6, 2018
Four out of six South African rhinos that were transferred to a park in southeast Chad in a bid to revive the endangered species have died, but not from poaching, conservationists say. "An additional two black rhino carcasses have been discovered in Zakouma National Park in Chad, bringing the total mortalities to four, of the six that were reintroduced in May this year," the conservation group African Parks said in a press release. "We can confirm that none of these rhinos were poached." Six ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FLORA AND FAUNA
NUS researchers turn plastic bottle waste into ultralight supermaterial

Video game action heads for the cloud

Making steps toward improved data storage

Super-computer brings 'cloud' to astronauts in space

FLORA AND FAUNA
Army scientist seeks enhanced soldier systems through quantum research

ULA contracted by Air Force for Delta IV rocket launch

Navistar contracted by Army for MRAP tech support

Scientists want to blast holes in clouds with laser to boost satellite communication

FLORA AND FAUNA
FLORA AND FAUNA
China successfully launches 41st BeiDou Navigation System Satellite

China launches twin BeiDou-3 satellites

Army researchers' technique locates robots, soldiers in GPS-challenged areas

Boeing to provide technical work on JDAM GPS-guided bombs

FLORA AND FAUNA
Boeing to deliver 4 new MH-47G choppers to Special Ops

Lockheed awarded $180.4M for F-35 Block 4 software development

M/V Bernard Fisher contracted for prepositioning of Air Force supplies

Boeing contracted for sustainment of Saudi F-15s

FLORA AND FAUNA
Bringing photonic signaling to digital microelectronics

China challenges US to provide 'evidence' in trade secrets case

US accuses China, Taiwan firms with stealing secrets from chip giant Micron

Brain-inspired methods to improve wireless communications

FLORA AND FAUNA
The cloud will save time, money, and reduce errors in the mapping process

MetOp-C ready for big day

Ozone hole modest despite optimum conditions for ozone depletion

What's in the air? There's more to it than we thought

FLORA AND FAUNA
Polluted Delhi air akin to death sentence, say doctors

Indian firework sellers fume over festival 'eco-cracker' ban

France launches nationwide probe into baby arm birth defects

EU countries back single-use plastics ban









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.