Phylogeny and Adaptations

Mourning Doves on the Tree of Life
The most recent common ancestor of the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) and its closest relative the Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni) lived 681.8 thousand years ago, with the first ancestor of the genus Zenaida emerging ~15 million years ago. Zenaida doves are a part of the Columbiformes order, which comprises of 306 species of doves and pigeons, all of which are included in the Aves class.

Adaptation - Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Turkey vultures have an extremely large olfactory bulb (area of the brain responsible for processing smell), which allows them to have a far keener sense of smell than most birds. This allows them to uniquely hunt prey through smell, putting them at an advantage against other birds of prey.

Common Adaptions In This Project
All the organisms in this project have evolved to have a pair of wings that allow them to take flight. However, butterfly and bird wings developed independently (as opposed to originating from a common ancestor) - this can be seen in crucial differences such as the lack of bones in insect wings.

Publicado el septiembre 24, 2020 11:10 TARDE por sunjoyxia