{"id":541722,"date":"2022-11-15T11:35:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T16:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=541722"},"modified":"2022-12-08T12:06:00","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T17:06:00","slug":"birds-of-a-feather-flock-together-541722","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/birds-of-a-feather-flock-together-541722\/","title":{"rendered":"Birds of a feather flock together?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A biology PhD student analyzes tanager bird feathers to explore how species evolve over time.<\/h2>\n

Maria Casta\u00f1o, a third-year PhD student at the University of Rochester<\/a> in the lab of Al Uy<\/a>, a professor of biology<\/a>, studies populations of birds to understand the processes that lead to the creation of new species.<\/p>\n

Casta\u00f1o collects and analyzes DNA sequences and feathers of tanagers from her native Colombia in South America. Her research focuses on two different subspecies of tanagers, which have different colored feathers on their rump areas: one subspecies lives in the lowlands of Colombia and has yellow rump feathers, while another subspecies lives in the mountains and has red rump feathers.<\/p>\n

\"Maria
Maria Casta\u00f1o uses a spectrophotometer to analyze tanager feathers. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are three regions along the edge of the mountains where the two subspecies reproduce, resulting in hybrid tanagers with a gradient of orange feathers. Casta\u00f1o is investigating tanagers in the three regions to find out if the two subspecies will collapse back into a single population or if the birds are on the way to becoming two entirely new species. At the same time, she is investigating if the genes that determine plumage color are moving from one subspecies into the other using the orange hybrid birds as a \u201cgo-between.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a biology lab on the River Campus, Casta\u00f1o uses an instrument called a spectrophotometer to analyze the birds\u2019 feathers. The spectrophotometer allows her to measure the reflectance of the colors in the feather pigments. She hopes to determine how plumage color allows the birds to recognize members of their own species, either to compete or to attract mates. She is also studying if it is plumage color that is keeping the subspecies separate, despite their reproducing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to describe how the birds\u2019 genes change along the distribution of the species and if the plumage color changes in concert with the genes,\u201d Casta\u00f1o says. \u201cUltimately, I want to understand how interbreeding will affect both subspecies\u2019 evolutionary paths.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Casta\u00f1o uses a spectrophotometer to measure the reflectance of the colors in the feather pigments. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Empowering women, supporting conservation efforts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The American Association of University Women<\/a> recently awarded Casta\u00f1o the International Doctoral Degree Fellowship for her research in evolutionary biology and her educational initiatives to empower females. A devout birder, Casta\u00f1o founded her own birdwatching company in Colombia called Amazona Tropical Birding<\/a>. The company is also involved in conservation efforts to protect the abundance of bird species in Colombia, which has more bird species than anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI strongly believe Colombians should leverage their spectacular diversity and consider birdwatching tourism as a major contributor to the economy,\u201d Casta\u00f1o says. \u201cMany regions of Colombia remain little explored due to armed conflict in the country that lasted for over 60 years. However, now that a peace deal has opened the door for scientific exploration and Colombia\u2019s biodiversity is promoting curiosity among local and international communities, ecotourism can become a significant source of income for many people. One of the main goals of my fieldwork is supporting local people with their ventures in birdwatching tourism, empowering them with the knowledge that they can earn more by preserving the natural ecosystems than by destroying them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Read more<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n

\"NancyUnderstanding an endangered species, bird by bird<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rochester biologist Nancy Chen is mapping the evolutionary forces affecting an endangered species of Florida birds and raising fundamental questions about how and why species go extinct.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"close-upPaper wasp parasites turn hosts into long-lived \u2018zombies\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

University of Rochester undergraduate students and their biology professor study what paper wasps\u2014and the parasites that manipulate them\u2014can tell us about evolution, aging, and group living.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"dogWhat makes a species different?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rochester research points to the presence of \u201cselfish genes,\u201d whose flow among species may dictate whether two species converge or diverge.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maria Casta\u00f1o, a third-year PhD student in biology, studies populations of birds to understand the processes that lead to the creation of new species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":912,"featured_media":541752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[486,18722,4626,16072],"class_list":["post-541722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sci-tech","tag-awards","tag-department-of-biology","tag-featured-post","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBirds of a feather flock together?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A biology PhD student studies populations of birds to understand the processes that lead to the creation of new species.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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